India likely to be enthused by new Thomas, Uber format

Kuala Lumpur: The Thomas and Uber Cup championships – the men’s and women’s team championships of badminton – will see a change in format from their next edition onwards. Until now, the final rounds in both events had teams which had qualified from their regional championships. The new format, which will begin in 2014, will see teams qualifying based on rankings, and will accommodate 16 teams at the final rounds, instead of the current 12. The new format might interest resurgent countries like India, which usually struggle to qualify to the final rounds from their strong continental groups.

The 16 teams, including the title holders and the host nations, will be divided into four groups of four teams. A minimum three teams each from Europe and Asia will automatically qualify to compete for both championships based on their world rankings. The BWF said the new format was being put in place to cater to a growing worldwide television audience.

“There is a twofold strategy,” BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said in a statement on Monday. “First, we believe that the sport is now ready to be taken to a new level of global exposure where we want to take the highest quality competition of the sport to the biggest possible worldwide television audience.”

“The expansion to showcase 16 high-quality teams will make the event potentially attractive to an increased number of television markets and viewers.”

The highest-placed teams from the Pan-American, Oceania and Africa regions will also qualify for the biennial event.

“Moving from a regional qualification process to a world ranking determination process sets our member associations in motion to adopt a long-term development strategy,” BWF deputy president and events committee chairman Paisan Rangsikitpho said. “This shift will cement the Thomas and Uber Cups as an elite showcase of nations who have effortlessly nurtured their talents with a focus on sustainable development.”

The decision to reformat the competition was first taken by the BWF Council in December 2011 in Queenstown, New Zealand, and then finalized at the BWF Council Meetings this month in Wuhan. China.

The detailed new competition regulations will be submitted to BWF Council in December 2012.