1979 Thomas Cup
Encyclopedia
The 1979 Thomas Cup was the 11th edition of the Thomas Cup
competition, the world championship of men's international team badminton
. The final rounds contested by qualifying zone winners and defending champion Indonesia
were held in Jakarta
, Indonesia
in late May and early June. First played in 1948-1949
, the Thomas Cup competition was held every three years until 1982
, and since then has been held every two years.
Indonesia
won its seventh title after beating Denmark
in the final round.
Australasian zone
Asian zone
European zone
Panamerican zone
(now the Badminton World Federation) had been delayed for years over the Taiwan
issue. In 1978 the PRC took the step of fostering a rival international badminton organization and running its own version of a world championship (for individual players) in 1979. The fallout over these developments reached into the Pan American zone of Thomas Cup which Taiwan (Republic of China) had entered. Drawing Mexico, Taiwan agreed to drop out of the competition when the Mexican Association protested against its entry. Mexico then defaulted the zone final to Canada
which, effectively, won the zone by squeezing past the USA
in the semifinal 5–4. In nine Thomas Cup meetings between Canada and the United States it was the first time in which no player over 30 participated in the tie.
The Asian zone all but disappeared in the political upheaval, as four national teams, including traditionally strong Thailand
, either withdrew or were scratched from the competition. This left only India to visit Malaysia
in a replay of their 1976
tie (team match), which Malaysia had won after trailing 1–4. Those young Malaysians had gone on to reach the tournament final but none had since developed into true world-class stars. Thus India, on the strength of three wins by Prakash Padukone
, was able to avenge its 1976 loss in another extremely close contest (5–4) and win the Asian zone for the first time since 1955
.
Competing in the Australasian zone for the first time since the 1966-1967 series
, Japan
encountered strong opposition from host New Zealand
but survived 5–4. It was Richard Purser's sixth Thomas Cup campaign for the Kiwis. The Japanese then went on to shut out Australia in the zone final, despite some close matches.
In the European Zone, England
could not take advantage of a fine performance by Ray Stevens
(winning only matches where he participated), and went down to Sweden
3–6. The Swedes, however, were beaten in the final for the fourth consecutive time by Denmark
2–7. It was the last of five occasions in which Denmark's Svend Pri
and Sweden's Sture Johnsson
played on opposite sides of a Thomas Cup tie, though they did not play directly against each other this time. Young Morten Frost
for Denmark and Thomas Kihlstrom
for Sweden were the leading performers in the contest.
at Jakarta
in late May and early June. Contesting in an out-bracket tie for the right to play Indonesia in the semifinals, Japan
decisively defeated Canada
8–1, U.S. born Pat Tryon scoring the lone point for the Canadians. The first semifinal tie pitted Denmark
against India
in what might have been expected to have been a very close encounter. Typically talented, Danish squads had also, typically, struggled in the tropical heat and humidity. This time, however, Denmark came through in the uncongenial climate 7–2; the pivotal match probably being wily veteran Svend Pri
's inspiring victory over the much younger Prakash Padukone
(less than a year before Padukone's triumph at the All-England Championships
).
The second semifinal presented Japan with the daunting task of facing a powerhouse Indonesian squad in an Indonesian setting. Moreover these Japanese players, especially in singles, were not as internationally accomplished as the highly competitive Japanese stars of a decade earlier. It came as quite a surprise, then, when Japan's number one singles player, Kinji Zeniya
, began the series by racing off to a 14–9 lead on reigning All-England champion Liem Swie King
. This, however, was as close to a victory as Japan came. King recovered to win the game 17–16 and nearly blanked Zeniya in the second game. Fighting hard throughout, the Japanese were successively worn down by better players who were also more accustomed to the tropical conditions. It was the first time that Japan had been on the losing side of a Thomas Cup shut-out. Thus for the fourth time, the third in a championship tie, Indonesia and Denmark squared-off in Thomas Cup competition.
was 34 and by this time only the third ranked singles player in Denmark
, his record of winning clutch singles matches in tropical conditions had earned him a slot in the top two singles positions. Indonesia
might have placed the iconic Rudy Hartono
(two months shy of 30) in a similar position in its lineup and thus effected a sequel to their long rivlalry. It was not to be, as Indonesia placed Hartono in the third singles position. Nevertheless, in "veteran" Iie Sumirat
, only a year younger than Hartono and, like Pri, something of a showman, Pri drew a worthy adversary. Their opening contest, the most interesting of the tie, was won by Sumirat 15–10 in the third game. Except for a three game win by Sumirat over rising star Morten Frost
on the second night, every other match was routinely taken by Indonesia. Flemming Delfs
, whose play in the tropics was almost invariably a full level below its European standard, lost tamely to Hartono, and only one doubles game in eight was close. Thus for the second straight time Indonesia shut-out its final opponent in Thomas Cup, thereby winning the Cup for the seventh time in eight attempts.
Though probably not anticipated at the time, this was the final Thomas Cup appearance of the great Indonesian doubles team of Tjun Tjun
and Johan Wahjudi
, Tjun Tjun being unbeaten in three campaigns which included an appearance in singles. His equally illustrious contemporary, Christian Hadinata
, would play in three more series (through 1986) and lose only one match in his Thomas cup career. Hartono would play in one more series (1981-1982
), the first in which Indonesia's great rival China
would finally compete. As for Svend Pri, this was his final Thomas Cup tie and the only one in which he failed to win at least one match.
Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation , the sport's global governing body...
competition, the world championship of men's international team badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
. The final rounds contested by qualifying zone winners and defending champion Indonesia
Indonesia national badminton team
The Indonesia national badminton team represents Indonesia in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by the Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia, PBSI , the governing body for badminton in Indonesia...
were held in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in late May and early June. First played in 1948-1949
1949 Thomas Cup
The 1949 Thomas Cup was the inaugural tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world.The tournament was originally planned for 1941-1942 , but was delayed when World War II exploded across the continents...
, the Thomas Cup competition was held every three years until 1982
1982 Thomas Cup
The 1982 Thomas Cup was the 12th tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world. The final round was held in London, England.China won its first title after beating Indonesia in the final round.-Teams:...
, and since then has been held every two years.
Indonesia
Indonesia national badminton team
The Indonesia national badminton team represents Indonesia in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by the Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia, PBSI , the governing body for badminton in Indonesia...
won its seventh title after beating Denmark
Denmark national badminton team
The Denmark national badminton team is a badminton team located in Denmark and represents the nation of Denmark in international badminton team competitions...
in the final round.
Teams
21 teams from 4 regions took part in the competition. As defending champion, Indonesia skipped the Qualifications and the first round, and played directly in the second round (semifinal) of the Inter-Zone Ties.Australasian zone
Asian zone
European zone
Panamerican zone
Qualification (intra-zone) summary
Political disputes played a significant role in the 1978–1979 Thomas Cup series. Though The People's Republic of China had been producing players of astonishing ability since the mid 1960s, its entry into the International Badminton FederationInternational Badminton Federation
The Badminton World Federation is the international governing body for the sport of badminton. Founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with nine member nations , the BWF has since expanded to 165 member nations around the world...
(now the Badminton World Federation) had been delayed for years over the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
issue. In 1978 the PRC took the step of fostering a rival international badminton organization and running its own version of a world championship (for individual players) in 1979. The fallout over these developments reached into the Pan American zone of Thomas Cup which Taiwan (Republic of China) had entered. Drawing Mexico, Taiwan agreed to drop out of the competition when the Mexican Association protested against its entry. Mexico then defaulted the zone final to Canada
Canada national badminton team
The Canada national badminton team represents Canada in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Team Canada at 2011 Sudirman Cup in Qingdao, China.Men: Stephan Wojcikiewicz Derrick Ng Adrian Liu...
which, effectively, won the zone by squeezing past the USA
United States national badminton team
The United States national badminton team represents the United States in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup *1952 - Runner-upUber Cup *1957 - Winner*1960 - Winner*1963 - Winner...
in the semifinal 5–4. In nine Thomas Cup meetings between Canada and the United States it was the first time in which no player over 30 participated in the tie.
The Asian zone all but disappeared in the political upheaval, as four national teams, including traditionally strong Thailand
Thailand national badminton team
The Thailand national badminton team represents Thailand in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup *1958 - Final round *1961 - Runner-up*1964 - Final round *1973 - Semi-finalist...
, either withdrew or were scratched from the competition. This left only India to visit Malaysia
Malaysia national badminton team
The Malaysia national badminton team is a badminton team that plays for Malaysia in international competitions. The men's team has enjoyed immense success, having won the Thomas Cup five times, most recently in 1992...
in a replay of their 1976
1976 Thomas Cup
The 1976 Thomas Cup was the 10th edition of Thomas Cup, the world championship of men's international team badminton . The final rounds contested by qualifying teams were held in Bangkok, Thailand in late May and early June...
tie (team match), which Malaysia had won after trailing 1–4. Those young Malaysians had gone on to reach the tournament final but none had since developed into true world-class stars. Thus India, on the strength of three wins by Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former badminton player from Karnataka, India. Among other championships, he won the All England Championship and became the first Indian to do so. Prakash was awarded the Padma Sri in 1982...
, was able to avenge its 1976 loss in another extremely close contest (5–4) and win the Asian zone for the first time since 1955
1955 Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton . Beginning in 1948-1949, it was held every three years until 1982 and has been held every two years thereafter...
.
Competing in the Australasian zone for the first time since the 1966-1967 series
1967 Thomas Cup
The 1967 Thomas Cup was the 7th tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world. The inter-zone matches and Challenge Round finale were held in Jakarta, Indonesia....
, Japan
Japan national badminton team
The Japan national badminton team represents Japan in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup*1964 - Semi-finalist *1967 - Final round...
encountered strong opposition from host New Zealand
New Zealand national badminton team
The New Zealand national badminton team represents New Zealand in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup *2008 - 9th/12thUber Cup *2008 - 9th/12thSudirman Cup *1989 - 19th*2001 - 25th*2005 - 19th...
but survived 5–4. It was Richard Purser's sixth Thomas Cup campaign for the Kiwis. The Japanese then went on to shut out Australia in the zone final, despite some close matches.
In the European Zone, England
England national badminton team
The England national badminton team represents England in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by Badminton England, the governing body for badminton in England.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup *1984 - Third Place...
could not take advantage of a fine performance by Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens (badminton)
Ray Stevens is a former English badminton player. A winner of numerous English national championships and international titles in both singles and doubles, his strengths were his power, tenacity, and concentration....
(winning only matches where he participated), and went down to Sweden
Sweden national badminton team
The Sweden national badminton team represents Sweden in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup *1984 - 7th / 8th*1986 - 7th / 8th*1988 - 7th / 8th*1990 - 7th / 8th*1992 - 5th / 6th...
3–6. The Swedes, however, were beaten in the final for the fourth consecutive time by Denmark
Denmark national badminton team
The Denmark national badminton team is a badminton team located in Denmark and represents the nation of Denmark in international badminton team competitions...
2–7. It was the last of five occasions in which Denmark's Svend Pri
Svend Pri
Svend Pri was a badminton player from Denmark who won numerous major titles from the mid 1960's through the mid 1970's. His play was marked by great power, tenacity, and tactical astuteness...
and Sweden's Sture Johnsson
Sture Johnsson
Sture Johnsson is a retired badminton player from Sweden who won numerous Swedish national and international men's singles titles. His game was characterized by impressive mobility and a powerful overhead smash.-Career:...
played on opposite sides of a Thomas Cup tie, though they did not play directly against each other this time. Young Morten Frost
Morten Frost
Morten Frost or Morten Frost Hansen, aka "Mr Badminton", is a former badminton player and later coach, who represented Denmark...
for Denmark and Thomas Kihlstrom
Thomas Kihlström
Thomas Kihlström is a former badminton player from Sweden known for his agility, tactical astuteness, and coolness under pressure. Though an impressive singles player early in his career, his greatest successes came in doubles....
for Sweden were the leading performers in the contest.
Inter-zone playoffs
The inter-zone ties (team matches) were hosted by defending champion IndonesiaIndonesia national badminton team
The Indonesia national badminton team represents Indonesia in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by the Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia, PBSI , the governing body for badminton in Indonesia...
at Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
in late May and early June. Contesting in an out-bracket tie for the right to play Indonesia in the semifinals, Japan
Japan national badminton team
The Japan national badminton team represents Japan in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup*1964 - Semi-finalist *1967 - Final round...
decisively defeated Canada
Canada national badminton team
The Canada national badminton team represents Canada in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Team Canada at 2011 Sudirman Cup in Qingdao, China.Men: Stephan Wojcikiewicz Derrick Ng Adrian Liu...
8–1, U.S. born Pat Tryon scoring the lone point for the Canadians. The first semifinal tie pitted Denmark
Denmark national badminton team
The Denmark national badminton team is a badminton team located in Denmark and represents the nation of Denmark in international badminton team competitions...
against India
India national badminton team
India National Badminton team represents India in international team badminton. The Indian team competed in the 2011 Sudirman Cup and shared the fifth rank with three other teams, what is up to now the best performance in the Sudirman Cup.-Thomas and Uber cup:...
in what might have been expected to have been a very close encounter. Typically talented, Danish squads had also, typically, struggled in the tropical heat and humidity. This time, however, Denmark came through in the uncongenial climate 7–2; the pivotal match probably being wily veteran Svend Pri
Svend Pri
Svend Pri was a badminton player from Denmark who won numerous major titles from the mid 1960's through the mid 1970's. His play was marked by great power, tenacity, and tactical astuteness...
's inspiring victory over the much younger Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former badminton player from Karnataka, India. Among other championships, he won the All England Championship and became the first Indian to do so. Prakash was awarded the Padma Sri in 1982...
(less than a year before Padukone's triumph at the All-England Championships
All England Open Badminton Championships
The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...
).
The second semifinal presented Japan with the daunting task of facing a powerhouse Indonesian squad in an Indonesian setting. Moreover these Japanese players, especially in singles, were not as internationally accomplished as the highly competitive Japanese stars of a decade earlier. It came as quite a surprise, then, when Japan's number one singles player, Kinji Zeniya
Kinji Zeniya
is a retired male badminton player of Japan.-Career:He won seven times Japanese national from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s. He played at the Inter-Zone Ties of 1979 Thomas Cup and 1982 Thomas Cup....
, began the series by racing off to a 14–9 lead on reigning All-England champion Liem Swie King
Liem Swie King
Liem Swie King is a former Indonesian badminton player who excelled from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. Along with Morten Frost , Han Jian and Luan Jin , and Prakash Padukone , he was one of the world's leading singles players of that era...
. This, however, was as close to a victory as Japan came. King recovered to win the game 17–16 and nearly blanked Zeniya in the second game. Fighting hard throughout, the Japanese were successively worn down by better players who were also more accustomed to the tropical conditions. It was the first time that Japan had been on the losing side of a Thomas Cup shut-out. Thus for the fourth time, the third in a championship tie, Indonesia and Denmark squared-off in Thomas Cup competition.
First round
| 8–1 | ||
| bye | ||
| bye | ||
| bye |
Second round
| 9–0 | ||
| 7–2 |
Final round
Though Svend PriSvend Pri
Svend Pri was a badminton player from Denmark who won numerous major titles from the mid 1960's through the mid 1970's. His play was marked by great power, tenacity, and tactical astuteness...
was 34 and by this time only the third ranked singles player in Denmark
Denmark national badminton team
The Denmark national badminton team is a badminton team located in Denmark and represents the nation of Denmark in international badminton team competitions...
, his record of winning clutch singles matches in tropical conditions had earned him a slot in the top two singles positions. Indonesia
Indonesia national badminton team
The Indonesia national badminton team represents Indonesia in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by the Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia, PBSI , the governing body for badminton in Indonesia...
might have placed the iconic Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono Kurniawan , born August 18, 1949) is a former Chinese Indonesian badminton player who won the men's singles title at the World Championship in 1980, and the prestigious All-England Championship trophy eight times, seven times consecutively , in the 1960s and 1970s. He is one of the...
(two months shy of 30) in a similar position in its lineup and thus effected a sequel to their long rivlalry. It was not to be, as Indonesia placed Hartono in the third singles position. Nevertheless, in "veteran" Iie Sumirat
Iie Sumirat
Iie Sumirat is a former badminton player from Indonesia.-Career:Sumirat was one of Indonesia's leading singles players during the 1970s, when it dominated men's international competition while China was still absent from IBF sanctioned play...
, only a year younger than Hartono and, like Pri, something of a showman, Pri drew a worthy adversary. Their opening contest, the most interesting of the tie, was won by Sumirat 15–10 in the third game. Except for a three game win by Sumirat over rising star Morten Frost
Morten Frost
Morten Frost or Morten Frost Hansen, aka "Mr Badminton", is a former badminton player and later coach, who represented Denmark...
on the second night, every other match was routinely taken by Indonesia. Flemming Delfs
Flemming Delfs
Flemming Delfs is a former Danish badminton player who won Danish national and international championships from the early 1970s to the early 1980s.-Career:...
, whose play in the tropics was almost invariably a full level below its European standard, lost tamely to Hartono, and only one doubles game in eight was close. Thus for the second straight time Indonesia shut-out its final opponent in Thomas Cup, thereby winning the Cup for the seventh time in eight attempts.
Though probably not anticipated at the time, this was the final Thomas Cup appearance of the great Indonesian doubles team of Tjun Tjun
Tjun Tjun
Tjun Tjun is a former Chinese-Indonesian badminton player. Though a singles player early in his career, he became one of the sport's greatest doubles specialists. His game was notable for its speed, power, accuracy, and aggressiveness...
and Johan Wahjudi
Johan Wahjudi
-Career:Wahjudi and Tjun won men's doubles in the IBF's first World Championships in 1977.They also won 6 All England Open Badminton Championships between 1974 and 1980 during which time their losses were rare and they were clearly the world's number one team...
, Tjun Tjun being unbeaten in three campaigns which included an appearance in singles. His equally illustrious contemporary, Christian Hadinata
Christian Hadinata
Christian Hadinata is a former Chinese Indonesian badminton player.Though early in his career he was a fine singles player who reached the final of the prestigious All-England Championship in 1973, Christian's success in doubles earned him recognition as one of great doubles players in badminton...
, would play in three more series (through 1986) and lose only one match in his Thomas cup career. Hartono would play in one more series (1981-1982
1982 Thomas Cup
The 1982 Thomas Cup was the 12th tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world. The final round was held in London, England.China won its first title after beating Indonesia in the final round.-Teams:...
), the first in which Indonesia's great rival China
China national badminton team
The China national badminton team represents the People's Republic of China in international badminton team competitions and is controlled by the Badminton Association of the People's Republic of China, the governing body for badminton in China....
would finally compete. As for Svend Pri, this was his final Thomas Cup tie and the only one in which he failed to win at least one match.
| 1979 Thomas Cup Champions |
|---|
| Seventh title |