PETALING JAYA: It's a dream draw for Malaysia in the Thomas Cup Finals.
In the draw released on March 18 (Wednesday), the men's squad set to be led by national top singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao, have been placed in Group B with Japan, England and Finland.
The top two teams will advance to the quarter-finals and Malaysia's chance look promising.
National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky is pleased but he wants the team to remain focused in their preparations.
"The draw looks good, but let the team stay focused on their preparation here and later in Denmark," said Rexy.
Group C and Group D are expected to be more competitive, with Taiwan, France and Thailand capable of upsetting higher-ranked sides to secure quarter-final spots.
Group A set to be a straight forward affair with China and India clearing the group stage.
Malaysia are aiming to bring back the Cup last won at the 1992 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
In the Uber Cup Finals, Malaysia too have a good chance to enter the quarter-finals as the women's team led by Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are drawn in Group B with Japan, Turkiye and South Africa.
Malaysia have began their centralised training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) and they have invited several professional shuttlers too.
They will spend 10 days in Herning, Denmark before leaving for the Finals in Horsens, from April 24-May 3.
THE DRAW
THOMAS CUP FINALS
Group A: China, India, Canada, Australia
Group B: Japan, Malaysia, England, Finland
Group C: Taiwan, Denmark, South Korea, Sweden
Group D: Indonesia, France, Thailand, Algeria
UBER CUP FINALS
Group A: China, India, Denmark, Ukraine
Group B: Japan, Malaysia, Turkiye, South Africa
Group C: Taiwan, Indonesia, Canada, Australia
Group D: South Korea, Thailand, Bulgaria, Spain
