KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia have been handed a favourable draw for the Sudirman Cup, boosting their prospects of reaching the knockout stage in the prestigious mixed team championship from April 27-May 4 in Xiamen, China.
In the draw conducted yesterday, Malaysia were placed in Group C alongside three-time runners-up Japan, as well as France and Australia.
Interestingly, Australia were also in Malaysia’s group in the 2023 edition in Suzhou, China.
Meanwhile, 13-time champions and hosts China were drawn into Group A with Thailand, Hong Kong, and Algeria.
Defending runners-up South Korea will take on Taiwan, Canada, and tournament debutants the Czech Republic in Group B.
Indonesia, the 1989 champions, face a tough challenge in Group D, which has been dubbed the “Group of Death”, alongside Denmark, India, and England.
In the previous edition, Malaysia advanced beyond the group stage and made it to the semi-finals before falling 1-3 to South Korea.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have yet to announce the squad for the tournament, but it is understood that they will field their strongest line-up following the backup squad’s underwhelming performance at the Asian Mixed Team Championships in Qingdao, China, in February.
