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The Chinese team defeated France 3-1 to retain the Thomas Cup at the 2026 BWF World Men’s Team Badminton Championship held in Denmark on May 4.
Liang Weikeng, a 2024 graduate student from the School of Physical Education and Sports Science at SCNU, won the world championship with the team. This victory marks his fourth world championship honor and contributes to China’s 12th Thomas Cup triumph.
Liang Weikeng (second from the right) lifts the trophy at the award ceremony.
Throughout the tournament, Liang Weikeng and his partner Wang Chang delivered a consistent performance, securing crucial points for China in key men’s doubles matches. In the group stage, the pair defeated respective combinations from Australia, Canada, and India, as China topped the group to book a spot in the knockout stage. Against world No. 4 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, Liang and Wang saved multiple match points in the decider before completing a dramatic comeback with a 26-24 victory.
Liang Weikeng (left) / Wang Chang face Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty of India in Group A.
In the knockout stage, Liang and Wang maintained their strong momentum, overcoming Malaysian pair Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals against host Denmark, the duo withstood the home-team pressure to win 2-0, claiming a vital point to send China into the final. In the final, China had already sealed the victory after the first four matches to retain the Thomas Cup.
Wang Chang (left) and Liang Weikeng (right) pose for a photo with their medals and trophy.
After the tournament, Liang said that he felt greatly honored to represent the Chinese national team. He gave his all during preparation and competition, and in the semi-final against Denmark, he held firm under pressure to secure the decisive point. He also expressed immense pride in the team’s successful title defense.
As the highest honor in world men’s team badminton, the Thomas Cup was donated in 1939 by Sir George Thomas, the first president of the International Badminton Federation. The inaugural tournament took place in 1948, and it has since been held every two years.
Source from SCNU News Center
Translated by Luo Fengyi, Xie Shaochai
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Yiwei
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