PETALING JAYA: Malaysia faces a tough task at the Asian Team Championships in Qingdao from Feb 3 to 8 after being drawn in Group D alongside main rivals and three-time champions Indonesia.
The draw on Friday (Jan 9), conducted by Badminton Asia, also saw Myanmar complete the group.
Defending champions China are in Group A with Thailand and Macau, while Group B features Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Group C has been tagged the "group of death". with Japan, India and Singapore battling for the top two spots.
Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
In the women’s event, Malaysia will face China in Group W.
Group X includes Japan, Indonesia and Hong Kong, while defending champions India are in Group Y with Thailand and Myanmar.
Group Z features South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
The championship also serves as the qualifying event for the Thomas and Uber Cups in Horsens, Denmark, in April.
