China’s team is ready to defend their title in the world mixed team championships (Sudirman Cup 2023) happening in Suzhou from May 14 to 21. Find out more about the event here.
The top badminton players from around the world are competing in Suzhou, China, from May 14 to 21. This time, they are playing for the prestigious world mixed team championships called the BWF Sudirman Cup.
Suzhou was supposed to host the Sudirman Cup in 2021 but had to delay it for two years. The defending champions are the host team, China, who have won the Sudirman Cup three times since it started in 1989. Only Indonesia and South Korea have also won the tournament before.
This is the 18th Sudirman Cup, and it follows a four-group, 16-team format for the second time.
Here are some teams and players to keep an eye on at the 2023 BWF Sudirman Cup Finals:
In Group A, China is the favorite, having won 12 out of 17 previous editions. They have a strong team, including Shi Yuqi, Olympic champion Chen Yufei, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, and Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan.
Denmark, with Viktor Axelsen, and Singapore, led by Loh Kean Yew, will compete for the second quarter-final spot in Group A. African champions Egypt are not expected to cause much of a stir.
In Group B, Indonesia’s Marcus Gideon/Kevin Sukamuljo, known as the ‘Minions,’ are making a comeback after being out of action due to injury and illness. They join a strong squad, including Anthony Ginting, Jonatan Christie, and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.
Thailand, another seeded team in Group B, has key players who skipped the Southeast Asian Games to focus on the Sudirman Cup, including Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Ratchanok Intanon.
Group C is a challenging group, with Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, India, and Australia. India’s squad includes players who won the men’s team world title last year, such as Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty. Malaysia is led by Lee Zii Jia, and Chinese Taipei has Chou Tien-chen and Tai Tzu-ying.
Japan is the top seed in Group D but surprisingly excluded former world number 1 Momota Kento. They will be led by Naraoka Kodai and Yamaguchi Akane. Republic of Korea, four-time Sudirman Cup winners, are also in Group D with women’s singles world number 2 An Seyoung. France and England are also in this group.
European teams may face challenges as many of their players will compete in both singles and doubles, unlike other teams that have specialized players for each category.
Here is the schedule for the 2023 BWF Sudirman Cup Finals in simple terms:
The competition will take place over eight days in Suzhou, China. There will be two sessions each day for the group matches from May 14 to 18, at 10am and 5pm local time (UTC +8 hours).
On May 19, the quarter-finals will be held, followed by the semi-finals on May 20. The Sudirman Cup Final will take place on May 21. The exact session times for these days are yet to be confirmed.
Sunday, May 14, 2023:
10am – Group matches: TPE vs. IND, KOR vs. FRA, MAS vs. AUS
5pm – Group matches: JPN vs. ENG, DEN vs. SGP, CHN vs. EGY
Monday, May 15, 2023:
10am – Group matches: INA vs. CAN, THA vs. GER, TPE vs. AUS
5pm – Group matches: MAS vs. IND, JPN vs. FRA, KOR vs. ENG
Tuesday, May 16, 2023:
10am – Group matches: INA vs. GER, THA vs. CAN
5pm – Group matches: CHN vs. SGP, DEN vs. EGY
Wednesday, May 17, 2023:
10am – Group matches: MAS vs. TPE, IND vs. AUS
5pm – Group matches: JPN vs. KOR, FRA vs. ENG
Thursday, May 18, 2023:
10am – Group matches: INA vs. THA, GER vs. CAN
5pm – Group matches: CHN vs. DEN, SGP vs. EGY
To watch the 2023 BWF Sudirman Cup Finals live
To watch the 2023 BWF Sudirman Cup Finals live matches on the BWF TV YouTube channel and on various domestic TV broadcasters. Please refer to your local listings for specific information.