Guangzhou to Host Thomas and Uber Badminton Cup Finals

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 15, 2002

Guangzhou to Host Thomas and Uber Badminton Cup Finals

The 2002 Thomas and Uber Badminton Cup finals will be held from May 9-19 at Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China. It was announced Tuesday morning in Beijing.

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The 2002 Thomas and Uber Badminton Cup finals will be held from May 9-19 at Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China. It was announced Tuesday morning in Beijing.

"China is honored that these great events have been awarded to China. It is likewise grateful to the Guangzhou Badminton Association who will play as hosts of the tournament," said Li Furong, vice minister of the State Sports General Administration and chairman of China Badminton Association (CBA).

The men's Thomas Cup and women's Uber Cup, which deemed the top badminton teams events in the world, are held every two years. China has participated the Thomas Cup from 1982 and honored four cup triumphs, but in recent eight years, the champion has been Indonesia, another badminton powerhouse in the world.

China women's team, the defending champion, have crowned in Uber's Cup for seven times since in 1984.

There are eight men and women's teams will compete for the titles. Defending champion Indonesia and host China will enter the Thomas Cup finals directly. China's women's team also book a place in the final as both defending champion and host. while other spots will be decided at the preliminary competitions at Eindhoven, Netherlands ,and Melbourne, Australia by the end of February.

"It is wonderful to see China - a nation with such a strong stance in the world game - supporting the promotion of badminton by agreeing to host International Badminton Federation's (IBF) oldest and most prestigious team events for the very first time." H.E Korn Dabbarasi, the chairman of IBF, told the press conference.

"The IBF looked for a host with a passion for badminton, and a deep-rooted enthusiasm for the men's and women's world team championships. China- with a record seven Uber Cup titles and five Thomas Cup triumphs - was the best choice."

Guangzhou, the largest trade port of southern China, successfully hold 2000 World Youth Badminton Championship and the Ninth National Games at 2001.

It is not since the Beijing World Championships in 1987 that a senior world tournament came to China.