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Badminton · Level 9: Master · Sub-level 9.3

The Team Cups

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 29 October 2026 · markdown

Badminton has three world team championships. The Thomas Cup for men, named after the English champion and IBF president Sir George Thomas, was first contested in 1948-49, and Malaya won the first three editions. The Uber Cup for women, named after the English player Betty Uber, began in 1956-57, and the United States won the first three. The Sudirman Cup, a mixed team event named after the Indonesian official Dick Sudirman, began in Jakarta in 1989 and was won by the hosts.

A Thomas or Uber Cup tie is five matches, three singles and two doubles, with a different player in each singles, and the first team to three wins takes it. A Sudirman Cup tie has one match in each discipline: men's and women's singles and men's, women's and mixed doubles. Indonesia has won the Thomas Cup most often, while China leads both the Uber and Sudirman Cups. Denmark became the first European Thomas Cup winner in 2016, beating Indonesia 3-2 in Kunshan, and India won its first title in Bangkok in 2022. The Thomas and Uber Cups are held together every two years, in even years, with 16 teams in the Thomas Cup finals since 2012; the Sudirman Cup fills the odd years.

The facts below cover each cup's history and format, the leading nations, recent surprises, team spirit on the bench and the calendar.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1The Thomas CupTake a test

  1. Men's national teams.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. Player and president.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. The first edition.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. 1949, 1952, 1955.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. Increased to 16 in 2012.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  6. National pride.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  7. India beat Indonesia in Bangkok.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. 1949, 2016, 2022.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. The field grew.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Men's team trophy.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 2How a Thomas Cup tie worksTake a test

  1. Best of five.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. Three singles, two doubles.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. Best of five.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Five matches.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. Three wins needed.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  6. Different players.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  7. Tactics in team events.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. Alternating singles and doubles.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. Closer to wider.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Decider.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 3Indonesia and the Thomas CupTake a test

  1. Indonesia leads the list.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. Beating Malaya.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. National sport.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Denmark in Kunshan.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. In Bangkok.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  6. Most titles.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  7. China is a multiple winner.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. 1949, 1958, 2016, 2022.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. Indonesia leads, China next, Denmark once.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. India's first title.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 4The Uber CupTake a test

  1. Women's teams.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. An English player.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. The first edition.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. USA won 1957, 1960, 1963.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. Times have changed.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  6. Best of five.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  7. China leads.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. Malaya won the first Thomas Cup in 1949, the USA the first Uber Cup in 1957, Korea the Sudirman Cup in 1992.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. Three in a row.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Women's team trophy.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 5Uber Cup championsTake a test

  1. Korea's second title.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. Japan's sixth title.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. Five titles from 1966 to 1981.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Depth.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. Korea in Kuala Lumpur.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  6. China.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  7. Depth needed.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. 1957, 2010, 2018, 2022.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. 1957, 1966, 1984, 2010.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Korea's 2022 win.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 6The Sudirman CupTake a test

  1. Men and women together.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. A key Indonesian official.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. Jakarta, 1989.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Indonesia at home.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. China leads.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  6. All five disciplines.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  7. Jakarta.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. 1949, 1957, 1989.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. 1989, 2017, 2019.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Mixed team trophy.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 7How a Sudirman Cup tie worksTake a test

  1. One per discipline.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. MS, WS, MD, WD, XD.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. Best of five.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Every discipline counts.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. Three wins.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  6. Shared team.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  7. Mixed doubles.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. MS, WS, MD, WD, XD.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. Closer to wider.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. One of each discipline.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 8Surprises and first-time winnersTake a test

  1. Europe's first.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. 3-2 in Kunshan.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. A first title.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Bangkok, Thailand.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. Korea's third title.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  6. Wider competition.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  7. Denmark in 2016.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. 2010, 2016, 2022.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. 2016, 2017, 2022.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Denmark.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Test 9Team spiritTake a test

  1. Shared stakes.

    Source: BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 10 · recall

  2. Cheering and support.

    Source: BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 10 · recall

  3. Teamwork.

    Source: BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 10 · recall

  4. Motivation and support.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  5. The team still needs them.

    Source: BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 10 · recall

  6. Support.

    Source: BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 10 · applied

  7. Leadership.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. Together throughout.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. Growing group.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Cohesion.

    Source: BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 10 · applied

Test 10The cups' calendarTake a test

  1. Biennial.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  2. Combined finals.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  3. Biennial.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  4. Spacing the calendar.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  5. Qualifying.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  6. Even years.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

  7. Odd years.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  8. Alternating.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  9. Qualify, groups, knock-out, final.

    Source: General badminton reference · recall

  10. Even years.

    Source: General badminton reference · applied

Questions people ask

What is the difference between the Thomas, Uber and Sudirman Cups?
The Thomas Cup is the men's world team championship, the Uber Cup the women's, and the Sudirman Cup the mixed one, in which men and women play for one team.
How does a Thomas Cup tie work?
It is the best of five matches, three singles and two doubles, and a team needs three wins. Each singles is played by a different player, so a team needs depth, not just one star.
Which country has won the Thomas Cup the most?
Indonesia, which first won it in 1958. China is also a multiple winner, while Denmark has won it once, in 2016.
Has a European team ever won the Thomas Cup?
Yes, once: Denmark beat Indonesia 3-2 in the 2016 final in Kunshan, the first and so far only European winner.
Who has won the Uber Cup?
The United States won the first three, in 1957, 1960 and 1963, and Japan took five titles between 1966 and 1981 and a sixth in 2018. China has won it most often, and Korea won its first in 2010 and its second in 2022, beating China.
How is the Sudirman Cup played?
Each tie has five matches, one in each discipline: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. A team needs three wins, so the women's and mixed matches count as much as the men's.
How often are the badminton team cups held?
The Thomas and Uber Cups are held together every two years, in even-numbered years, and teams reach the finals through continental qualifying. The Sudirman Cup is also held every two years, in the odd years, a year after each Thomas Cup.

Sources

BWF Coaches' Manual Level 1 (2017), BWF regulations and history, Olympedia; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered rules belong to the Rules category (Badminton - Laws of Badminton).

  • General badminton reference94
  • BWF Coaches' Manual L1, Module 106