KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has no plans to host the 2026 Thomas Cup, said Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
“This decision is in line with the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) stance, as they have chosen not to submit a bid for hosting rights for tournaments at the moment,” he told the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
Adam was responding to a question posed by DAP’s Chong Zhemin (Kampar-PH) asking if Malaysia intends to apply to host the prestigious men’s badminton tournament, given that no other country has yet shown an interest to host it.
BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh was previously reported as saying that there has been no inclination from BAM to host a major tournament since the 2013 Sudirman Cup, at least for the time being.
In addition to the Thomas Cup, it was also learned that BAM did not submit an application to host the Uber Cup.
The Uber Cup is a significant international badminton competition contested by women’s national badminton teams. Although the deadline was extended until February 1, BAM did not submit an application.
The last time Malaysia hosted the Thomas and Uber Cup was in 2010.
Meanwhile, Adam Adli said that the ministry is consistently striving to identify and train new talents in the field of badminton in the country.
“In addition to collaborating with BAM, we are actively working with other badminton associations to recognise and expand talent pools in the sport.
“This is to cultivate the next generation of players who will represent the country.
“Furthermore, the ministry has been identifying independent badminton players and addressing their issues and concerns,” he added. – March 7, 2024