World junior champion Alwi Farhan has been named to Indonesia’s Thomas Cup squad for the TotalEnergies BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2024 in Chengdu.

Farhan, who won the junior title in Spokane (USA) last October, has had an encouraging start to his senior career, making the semifinals of the Odisha Masters (Super 100) in December. At No.62, he is the fourth-highest ranked Indonesian, behind Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Jonatan Christie and Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.

Meanwhile, Japan have named 17-year-old prodigy Tomoka Miyazaki, world junior champion in 2022 and semifinalist last year, to their Uber Cup squad.

Miyazaki has had a brilliant start to her senior career, winning the Orleans Masters (Super 300) last month and finishing runner-up at the Korea Masters (Super 300) in November 2023. Miyazaki has already beaten top players like Pusarla V. Sindhu, Aya Ohori and Nozomi Okuhara.

Miyazaki will accompany her senior singles compatriots Akane Yamaguchi, Ohori, Okuhara and doubles players Chiharu Shida, Nami Matsuyama, Mayu Matsumoto, Wakana Nagahara, Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto to her first Uber Cup.

Japan have also picked former two-time world champion Kento Momota to the Thomas Cup team. Momota accompanies Kodai Naraoka, Kenta Nishimoto and Koki Watanabe in singles. The familiar name missing is Kanta Tsuneyama, who hasn’t won a match in six tournaments this year.

Hosts China have formidable teams in both competitions, with all their top stars at their service. Shi Yu Qi and Li Shi Feng will be backed by Lu Guang Zu and Weng Hong Yang in men’s singles, while in the Uber Cup, recent Badminton Asia Championships winner Wang Zhi Yi will feature alongside Chen Yu Fei, He Bing Jiao and Han Yue.

Denmark have a couple of fresh faces in Magnus Johannesen – who beat Lee Zii Jia at the French Open – and Jesper Toft, who reached the recent European Championships men’s doubles final with Andreas Sondergaard.

Thomas Cup champions India have their matchwinners from Bangkok two years ago, while Uber Cup champions Korea will rely on An Se Young to lead the way. The notable name missing in the team is world No.14 Kim Ga Eun; singles responsibilities will therefore pass on to No.38 Sim Yu Jin, No.73 Kim Ga Ram and teen Kim Min Sun, who won a double (women’s singles and ’s doubles) at the Pathumthani Junior International Series last December.

The Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2024 start in Chengdu on Saturday 27 April.

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