THE national men’s and women’s badminton squads face different paths after being drawn in Group B for the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup competition scheduled to take place in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3.

For the Thomas Cup campaign, the national men’s squad was drawn alongside former 2014 champions Japan, along with England and Finland, with the challenge seen as balanced for Malaysia, which has an excellent record in the prestigious tournament.

Malaysia, which has made 34 appearances so far, has emerged as champions in 1949, 1952, 1955, 1967 and the last time in 1992.

Meanwhile, in the Uber Cup competition, the national women’s squad was also drawn in Group B alongside Japan, Turkey and South Africa.

Malaysia, who are making their 20th appearance in the tournament, have achieved their best results by reaching the quarter-finals in the 2004, 2008 and 2010 editions.

The presence of Japan, which emerged as champions in 2018, is seen as the main contender in the group, while Turkey and South Africa cannot be taken lightly.

Overall, both the national men’s and women’s squads are seen as having a chance to advance to the next stage, but they need to show consistent performances from the first match. – March 18, 2026