Derek Wong, who is currently ranked 45th in the world, will be part of the SIngapore team that will take play in the Thomas Cup. This is only the second time Singapore have qualified for the Thomas Cup. (Photo courtesy of SBA)
Singapore, Monday, March 31, 2014 – Singapore have qualified for only their second Thomas Cup final. The last and first time Singapore qualified was in 1986.
The Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) announced today that the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has confirmed that the Republic’s male shuttlers have qualified for this year’s championships to be held in New Delhi, India from May 18–25.
In 1986, Lau Wing Cheok, Wong Shoon Keat, Hamid Khan and Tan Eng Han booked the Republic’s ticket. The Singapore men’s team are currently ranked 15th in the world.
The Singapore women’s team confirmed their participation in the Uber Cup last week and this is also the second appearance for the ladies.
??The prestigious Thomas Cup, which is also the World Team Championships for men, was first held in 1948–1949.
?Said Singapore’s top male shuttler Derek Wong, who is the son of Wong Shoon Keat, “I felt so overwhelmed with emotion when I was told. This is definitely one of the greatest news I have had this year. I am really very happy to have achieved a little bit of what my dad has and I am sure he is proud of me. I am also really thankful that all our hard work is paying off and this will definitely inspire the whole team to?work harder.”
“It is fantastic that Singapore has made history by qualifying for both the Thomas and Uber Cup finals in the same year for the first time,” said Ronnie Lim, Chief Executive Officer of SBA.
“I am really proud of our shuttlers and coaching staff. This shows that Singapore Badminton is heading in the right direction and we are making inroads in our efforts to establish Singapore amongst the elite badminton nations of the world.”
Singapore has been handed a tricky draw. They are in Group A with 13-time Thomas Cup champions Indonesia, Thailand, and Nigeria.
The Singapore ladies have are drawn in Group B of the Uber Cup together with 2010 Champions Korea, 3-time winners Indonesia, and Australia.
Said Singapore’s newly appointed head coach, Mr Liu Qingdong, “I am glad that Singapore’s badminton has taken a big step forward. I give full credit to the players for working very hard with me and trusting my coaching methods. This is definitely the reward of their hard work but I will ensure that they do not get complacent and continue to improve. Although we have been given a very though draw, we will give our best and give the other countries a good fight.”
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