100 Days Until the Olympics: Thomas Uber Cup Squads Announced, China Fields Strongest Team

dd yy September 6, 2024 2 0

Today marks 100 days until the Paris Olympics. Before the Olympics, another major event in badminton will take place: the 2024 Thomas and Uber Cup, set to be held in Chengdu in 10 days. The registration deadline for players was April 14 at midnight, and the participating teams were announced yesterday. Playing on home turf, the Chinese team has fielded their highest-ranked and strongest players, including Shi Yuqi, Chen Yufei, the “Liang-Wang” duo, and the “Fan-Chen” pair.

2024 Thomas & Uber Cup: Full Squad List

Fresh from the Asian Championships, where China won 3 gold, 3 silver, and 7 bronze medals, the team departed for Chengdu on Monday to conduct their final preparations at the Shuangliu base. Hosting the Thomas and Uber Cup at home, the Chinese team is aiming to reclaim both trophies, thus deploying their top players and strategies.

Thomas Cup Squad

The men’s singles team is led by Shi Yuqi, whose world ranking has climbed back to second. He will shoulder the first singles position for the first time in two and a half years. Li Shifeng, who reached the finals at the Asian Championships and has shown a return to form, will play as the second singles. Other male singles players include Lu Guangzu and Weng Hongyang. The men’s doubles lineup is clear, with newly crowned Asian Champions Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang making their Thomas Cup debut. Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi and He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu, who have secured Olympic qualification, will also form part of the doubles strategy.

Uber Cup Squad

In the Uber Cup, China’s women’s singles team swept the top four positions at the Asian Championships in Ningbo for the first time in 12 years, with Chen Yufei, He Bingjiao, Han Yue, and Wang Zhiyi all standing on the podium. These four will compete in the Uber Cup. The women’s doubles lineup includes Asian Championship medalists Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, Tan Ning/Liu Shengshu, and Zheng Yu/Zhang Shuxian, who will face key opponents from Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

Main Competitors

China’s primary competitors in the Thomas Cup include Indonesia, Denmark, Chinese Taipei, and India. Chinese Taipei has also fielded a strong team, with four singles players and six doubles pairs, showing impressive recent performances. Denmark and India’s men’s teams have similar structures, with strength concentrated in their top three players. Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, who recently won both the All England and Asian Championships, along with a resurgence in their doubles, adds to their competitive edge.

Noteworthy Team Changes

Japan’s men’s team includes the long-missed Kento Momota, whose presence as the third singles could pose a significant threat to any opponent. Korea has again fielded less well-known singles players and did not include the doubles star Na Sung-seung, who has previously performed well in team competitions. Malaysia’s team consists of five singles and five doubles players, leaving little room for changes in their doubles lineup. Reports suggest that one of their singles players, Ng Tze Yong, might miss the Thomas Cup due to injury.

Uber Cup Competitors

The Uber Cup has seen long-standing competition among China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand. Japan’s lineup includes Akane Yamaguchi, Sayaka Takahashi, Nozomi Okuhara, and Miyuki Miyazaki in singles, with their doubles led by “Mountain Goat” and the “Double High” pairs. Korea replaced their second singles Kim Ga-eun with Kim Min-seon, meaning the former third singles Shim Yu-jin will likely play second. Thailand’s team has been reduced to nine players due to the injury of Benyapa Aimsaard. India, who won the Asian team championships as an underdog, will use the Uber Cup to train their younger players, with top players like P.V. Sindhu and their top two doubles pairs resting.