Sudirman Cup
Current season, competition or edition: 2017 Sudirman Cup | |
| Sport | Badminton |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Countries | BWF member nations |
| Most recent champion(s) |  China (10th title) |
| Most titles | China (10 titles) |
The Sudirman Cup is the world mixed team badminton championship which takes place every two years. There are five matches in every round: men and women's singles, men and women's doubles and mixed doubles. The Cup is named after Dick Sudirman, a former Indonesian badminton player and the founder of the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI). The first Sudirman Cup tournament took place in Bung Karno Stadium, Central Jakarta, Indonesia on May 24 – May 29, 1989.
There is no prize money in Sudirman Cup; players play for their respective countries and to earn BWF world ranking points and national prestige.
Trophy
The Sudirman Cup stands 80 cm high. It is made of 22 carat (92%) gold-plated solid silver and stands on an octagonal base made of jati wood (Java teak wood). The body of the Cup is in the form of a shuttlecock and is surmounted by a replica of the Borobudur Temple. The handles are in the shape of stamens, symbolising the seeds of badminton.
The Cup was made by Masterix Bandung Company at the price of US$15,000.
Format
The Sudirman Cup is an international competition that does not stage a qualification round. The competing teams are divided into 7 groups based on their performances. Only teams in group 1 will have a chance to lift the trophy as the teams in other groups fight for promotion. The teams who finish last in the group will be relegated to the lower group, except the final group.
Result
Successful national teams
Indonesia initially won the tournament in 1989. Throughout the history of the tournament, eight countries have reached through to the semifinal round in all tournaments of Sudirman Cup: China, Denmark, England, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan.
China is the most successful national team in the Sudirman Cup (10 victories), followed by Korea (3 victories) and Indonesia (1 victory). The Cup has never been won by a non-Asian country, Denmark is the only European country that came close to winning it, in 1999 and 2011.
| Team | Titles | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| China
|
10 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015) | 1 (2003) |
 South Korea
|
3 (1991, 1993, 2003) | 4 (1989, 1997, 2009, 2013) |
 Indonesia
|
1 (1989) | 6 (1991, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2007) |
 Denmark
|
2 (1999, 2011) | |
 Japan
|
1 (2015) |
