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The Thomas & Uber Cups form the pinnacle of international badminton championships by national teams, which are held every other year in a different city.
Sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation (IBF), the Thomas & Uber Cups are the leading international badminton competitions similar to the Davis Cup of tennis. The Thomas Cup for the male athletes was first held in 1948 and the first Uber Cup for female players was held in 1956. This year’s 2006 competition in Japan will mark the 24th Thomas Cup and the 21st Uber Cup. With the competition’s increasing popularity, the number of participating countries is rising.
To qualify for the Thomas & Uber Cups, teams must compete in regional preliminaries (Asia, Europe, Oceania, Pan-America, and Africa). Only 10 countries proceed from the preliminaries to compete in the championships along with the defending champions and the host country. |
| Competition Rules |
The championships are contested by national teams. The following applies to both the men's and the women's matches./
- Each national team consists of 4 to 10 players.
- Three teams form one group and play in a round robin competition.
- One match consists of three singles and two doubles matches. The order of the matches is: Singles 1, Singles 2, Singles 3, Doubles 1, and Doubles 2.
- The order of the players is decided in accordance with the IBF's official rankings.
- The standings in each group dictate the seeding and matchups of the final round.
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| Competition Regulations |
All matches shall observe the regulations defined by the International Badminton Federation （IBF）, as well as regulations defined for the event. |
| While the Olympics and the World Championships are the biggest competitions for individual players, the Thomas & Uber Cups are the world’s largest national team championships as the players stake their nation’s pride and honor.
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The Thomas Cup is named after the great badminton player and first IBF chairman, Sir George Thomas of the United Kingdom. The first Thomas Cup was won by the country then called Malay in 1948. Indonesia is the most decorated country, having won the Thomas Cup 13 times.
The Uber Cup is named after the legendary player of the 1930s, Ms. Betty Uber of the U.K. In 1956, the first Uber Cup was won by the United States. China is the leading country with 9 Uber Cups won. Since 1984, the Thomas & Uber Cups have been held together in the same host country. |
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| The Champions Of The Thomas Cup |
The Champions Of The Uber Cup |
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1 |
1948 - 49 |
Malaya |
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| 2 |
1951 - 52 |
Malaya |
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| 3 |
1954 - 55 |
Malaya |
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1 |
1956 - 57 |
U.S.A |
| 4 |
1957 - 58 |
Indonesia |
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2 |
1959 - 60 |
U.S.A |
| 5 |
1960 - 61 |
Indonesia |
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3 |
1962 - 63 |
U.S.A |
| 6 |
1963 - 64 |
Indonesia |
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4 |
1965 - 66 |
JAPAN |
| 7 |
1966 - 67 |
Malaysia |
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5 |
1968 - 69 |
JAPAN |
| 8 |
1969 - 70 |
Indonesia |
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6 |
1971 - 72 |
JAPAN |
| 9 |
1972 - 73 |
Indonesia |
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7 |
1974 - 75 |
Indonesia |
| 10 |
1975 - 76 |
Indonesia |
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8 |
1977 - 78 |
JAPAN |
| 11 |
1978 - 79 |
Indonesia |
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9 |
1980 - 81 |
JAPAN |
| 12 |
1981 - 82 |
China |
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| 13 |
1984 |
Indonesia |
10 |
1984 |
China |
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| 14 |
1986 |
China |
11 |
1986 |
China |
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| 15 |
1988 |
China |
12 |
1988 |
China |
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| 16 |
1990 |
China |
13 |
1990 |
China |
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| 17 |
1992 |
Malaysia |
14 |
1992 |
China |
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| 18 |
1994 |
Indonesia |
15 |
1994 |
Indonesia |
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| 19 |
1996 |
Indonesia |
16 |
1996 |
Indonesia |
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| 20 |
1998 |
Indonesia |
17 |
1998 |
China |
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| 21 |
2000 |
Indonesia |
18 |
2000 |
China |
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| 22 |
2001 - 02 |
Indonesia |
19 |
2001 - 02 |
China |
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| 23 |
2004 |
China |
20 |
2004 |
China |
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| 24 |
2006 |
??? |
21 |
2006 |
??? |
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| ©Copyright2006 ,The Nippon Badminton
Association all rights reserved. |
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