Hong Kong badminton chiefs turn down Thomas Cup wild card as hotel quarantine and Asian Games selection hamper preparation
- New Zealand unable to send team to premier men’s badminton competition after bulk of squad tests positive for Covid-19
- Hong Kong next in line based on rankings, but coach says there’s no time to assemble a team with internal selection for Asian Games the priority
Hong Kong has turned down the opportunity for a wild-card entry to this year’s Thomas Cup, the premier men’s badminton team event, as the city’s players finish up hotel quarantine and await a decision on Asian Games selection.
The world’s top 16 teams will compete for the honours at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, but Oceania representative New Zealand was unable to send its team after the bulk of its squad tested positive for Covid-19.
With no other Oceania nation able to fill the continental quota, Hong Kong had been invited as the next in line based on world rankings, according to the Badminton World Federation.
“This is a good opportunity to rub shoulders against the world’s best, but unfortunately we do not have the time and therefore have to decline the invitation,” head coach Tim He Yiming said.
“Our players are still in quarantine after returning from the Asia Championships in Manila and even if they travel to Thailand this week, they will not have the form and match fitness for the event.
“Also, we are unable to stage any kind of internal selection for the event which is against our common practice for sending players to major events.”
Hong Kong’s loss is the United States’ gain as the team has taken up the position and will feature in group D along with Japan, Malaysia and England. Defending champions Indonesia are in group A while China are in group B, which also features heavyweights Denmark.
Group C will be led by Taiwan and India. Hong Kong last appeared in the Thomas Cup in 2018 and also featured in the two previous occasions of the biennial tournament.
He said while the Asia Championships in Manila came at very short notice, the event had been listed as a super 1,000 level tournament – similar to the All England Open – and players risked losing significant ranking points if they did not attend.
“Our plan was to start internal selection for the Asian Games in April, but because we had to give way to the Asia Championships, we postponed selection until the players returned from Manila as we must submit our list of players for the Asian Games in mid-May by the latest, in accordance with the deadline set by the Olympic Committee.
“The Asian Games is our top priority of the year and we must send our best players at the expense of any other events.”
The Sports Institute requires an Asian Games medal as a prerequisite if a sport wants to retain its Tier A status and retain access to its Fo Tan complex, where athletes can access world class facilities, coaching and sports science and sports medical support.
Badminton mixed doubles pair Tse Ying-suet and Tang Chun-man won a silver at the 2018 Jakarta Games.
