Ten-time winners China are in a tricky group with India and Malaysia for the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup, which will be held in Nanning, China, from 19-26 May 2019.

The draw for the 31 participating teams, which are divided into four groups based on team rankings, was conducted in Nanning today by BWF in the presence of officials from Chinese Badminton Association (CBA), officials of the host city, sponsors and media.

China, seeded second, will be favourites to top Group 1D, but will have to contend with a strong challenge from India and Malaysia.

Top seeds Japan, who are in search of their first Sudirman Cup title, are in Group 1A with Thailand and Russia. Indonesia, winners of the first tournament in 1989, will be wary of Denmark and England in Group 1B, while defending champions Korea will also expect a challenge from Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong in Group 1C.

The top two teams from each sub-group in Group 1 will progress to the quarterfinals and compete for the title. The other 19 teams from Groups 2, 3 and 4 will compete for overall placings.

BWF Events Director Darren Parks said the scene was set for what should be a fantastic tournament.

“Nanning is a fitting location for what will be another memorable edition of the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup,” he said.

“We’re extremely excited to welcome our sport’s elite players to this great city in what will be eight days of premier badminton action.”

Parks also thanked BWF’s Major Events Title Sponsor, Total, for supporting the tournament. In January 2018, the BWF extended its partnership with Total as Official Energy Partner of the World Tour and title sponsor for BWF Major Championships to 2021.

“The BWF and Total have enjoyed tremendous success together and we look forward to this relationship continuing for many years to come,” Parks said.

Christine Richard, Vice President of Specialties & B2B, Total Oil Asia Pacific added: “As a major energy player, Total is a committed supporter of badminton and is proud to be Title Sponsor of BWF Major Events since 2015.

“Total sees strong synergies between our lubricant products and the competitive world of badminton sports.

“We’d like to specially thank the Chinese Badminton Association, Guangxi Sports Bureau, and Nanning Municipal People’s Government for their continual support of the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2019.”

Here are the official groupings:

Group 1

Group A: Japan, Thailand, Russia

Group B: Indonesia, Denmark, England

Group C: Chinese Taipei, Korea, Hong Kong

Group D: China, India, Malaysia

Group 2

Group A: Netherlands, France, USA, Vietnam

Group B: Germany, Canada, Singapore, Israel

Group 3

Group A: Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal

Group B: Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Slovakia, Lithuania

Group 4

Macau, Greenland, Kazakhstan