Sudirman Cup

The Sudirman Cup is the world mixed team badminton championship which takes place every two years. It is held in the same venue for the IBF World Championships in the same year until International Badminton Federation decided to split the two tournaments starting from 2003. There are five matches in every Sudirman Cup tie which consists of 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 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia on 24-29 May 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. Only six teams compete in Group 1 until 2003 before it is increased to 8 in 2005 and later to 12 teams in 2011.
Originally, the teams who finish last in the group were relegated to the lower group for the next edition, except the final group. The promotion-relegation system was last used in 2009, and teams competing are now grouped by world rankings.
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 (11 victories), followed by Korea (4 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.