Japan are top-seeded for the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2019 that will be held in Nanning, China, from 19 to 26 May this year.

The 32 participating teams, placed in four groups, were seeded based on the cumulative ranking points of their highest-ranked players/pairs (as on 5 March 2019) in all the five categories. Japan head the 12 teams of Group 1 with 450,447 points, a reflection of their strength across all categories.

Ten-time winners China are ranked second with 442,562 points, while defending champions Korea are ranked fifth with 301,475. Indonesia, champions in the inaugural edition in 1989, are third with 353,008.

Each team’s ranking is a total of the ranking points of the highest-ranked players in the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles categories. Japan – whose 450,447 points are due to Kento Momota (104,750), Nozomi Okuhara (85,153), Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (78,986), Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (98,758) and Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (82,800) – are ahead of China by 7885 points.

Only the top 12 teams placed in Group 1 will compete for the title. Groups 2, 3 and 4 will complete for overall placing.

The Netherlands are top-seeded in Group 2 with 180,954 points, ahead of Germany, Canada, France, USA, Singapore, Vietnam and Israel.

Ireland, with 78,929 points, has the highest ranking in Group 3, which also has Switzerland, Australia, Sri Lanka, Slovakia, New Zealand, Nepal and Lithuania.

There are only four teams in Group 4, with Macau having the highest points (23,200), followed by Kazakhstan, Kenya and Greenland.

The official draw for the Sudirman Cup will take place on 19 March 2019 in Nanning.

Team Seedings

Group 1

1.Japan, 2.China, 3.Indonesia, 4.Chinese Taipei, 5.Korea, 6.Denmark, 7.Thailand, 8.India, 9.Malaysia, 10.England, 11.Hong Kong, 12.Russia

Group 2

1.Netherlands, 2.Germany, 3.Canada, 4.France, 5.USA, 6.Singapore, 7.Vietnam, 8.Israel

Group 3

1.Ireland, 2.Switzerland, 3.Australia, 4.Sri Lanka, 5.Slovakia, 6.New Zealand, 7.Nepal, 8.Lithuania

Group 4

1.Macau, 2.Kazakhstan, 3.Kenya, 4.Greenland