The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Women's Team Championships, is a major international badminton competition contested by women's national badminton teams. First held in 1956–1957 and contested at three year intervals, it has been contested every two years since 1984 when its scheduled times and venues were merged with those of Thomas Cup, the world men's team championship. In 2007, the Badminton World Federation decided to have Thomas and Uber Cup finals separated again but the proposal was ultimately abandoned.[1] The Uber Cup is named after a former British women's badminton player, Betty Uber, who in 1950 had the idea of hosting a women's event similar to the men's.[2] She also made the draw for the 1956–1957 inaugural tournament, which took place at Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire, England.[3]

Uber Cup
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 Thomas & Uber Cup
SportBadminton
Founded1957
No. of teams16
CountriesBWF member nations
Most recent
champion(s)
 China (16th title)
Most titles China (16 titles)
Daphne Young, winner of the All England Badminton Women's Singles Championship, being congratulated by Betty Uber, winner of the mixed doubles (with her partner, Bill White) March 1938

The cup follows a similar format to that of the men's competition of the Thomas Cup. As of the 2024 tournament, China is the most successful team, having won 16 titles. Japan is second, having won it six times, followed by Indonesia and United States, each with three cups.

Trophy

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The Uber Cup trophy was officially presented at the annual general meeting in 1956, the year the first Uber Cup tournament was first held.[3] It was made by Mappin & Webb, prominent silversmiths on Regent Street in London. The trophy is 20 inches high with a rotating globe on top of a plinth and a female player standing on top of a shuttlecock.[2]

Results

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1957–1981

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Year[4] Host Final Semi-finalists
Champions Score Runners-up
1957
Details
Lancashire, England  
United States
6–1  
Denmark
 
India
1960
Details
Philadelphia, United States  
United States
5–2  
Denmark
 
New Zealand
1963
Details
Wilmington, United States  
United States
4–3  
England
 
Indonesia
1966
Details
Wellington, New Zealand  
Japan
5–2  
United States
 
England
1969
Details
Tokyo, Japan  
Japan
6–1  
Indonesia
 
England
1972
Details
Tokyo, Japan  
Japan
6–1  
Indonesia
 
Denmark
 
New Zealand
1975
Details
Jakarta, Indonesia  
Indonesia
5–2  
Japan
 
Canada
 
England
1978
Details
Auckland, New Zealand  
Japan
5–2  
Indonesia
 
Denmark
 
United States
1981
Details
Tokyo, Japan  
Japan
6–3  
Indonesia
 
Canada
 
England

1984–1988

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Year Host Final Third place tie
Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
1984
Details
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  
China
5–0  
England
 
South Korea
5–0  
Denmark
1986
Details
Jakarta, Indonesia  
China
3–2  
Indonesia
 
South Korea
3–2  
Japan
1988
Details
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  
China
5–0  
South Korea
 
Indonesia
5–0  
Japan

1990–present

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Year Host Final Semi-finalists
Champions Score Runners-up
1990
Details
Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan  
China
3–2  
South Korea
 
Indonesia
 
Japan
1992
Details
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  
China
3–2  
South Korea
 
Sweden
 
Indonesia
1994
Details
Jakarta, Indonesia  
Indonesia
3–2  
China
 
Sweden
 
South Korea
1996
Details
Hong Kong  
Indonesia
4–1  
China
 
South Korea
 
Denmark
1998
Details
Hong Kong SAR, China  
China
4–1  
Indonesia
 
Denmark
 
South Korea
2000
Details
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  
China
3–0  
Denmark
 
Indonesia
 
South Korea
2002
Details
Guangzhou, China  
China
3–1  
South Korea
 
Netherlands
 
Hong Kong
2004
Details
Jakarta, Indonesia  
China
3–1  
South Korea
 
Denmark
 
Japan
2006
Details
Sendai and Tokyo, Japan  
China
3–0  
Netherlands
 
Germany
 
Chinese Taipei
2008
Details
Jakarta, Indonesia  
China
3–0  
Indonesia
 
South Korea
 
Germany
2010
Details
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  
South Korea
3–1  
China
 
Japan
 
Indonesia
2012
Details
Wuhan, China  
China
3–0  
South Korea
 
Thailand
 
Japan
2014
Details
New Delhi, India  
China
3–1  
Japan
 
India
 
South Korea
2016
Details
Kunshan, China  
China
3–1  
South Korea
 
India
 
Japan
2018
Details
Bangkok, Thailand  
Japan
3–0  
Thailand
 
South Korea
 
China
2020
Details
Aarhus, Denmark  
China
3–1  
Japan
 
South Korea
 
Thailand
2022
Details
Bangkok, Thailand  
South Korea
3–2  
China
 
Japan
 
Thailand
2024
Details
Chengdu, China  
China
3–0  
Indonesia
 
South Korea
 
Japan
2026
Details
Horsens, Denmark

Successful national teams

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So far, only five countries have won the Uber Cup with China the most successful team, with 16 titles, followed by Japan (six titles), Indonesia (three titles), the United States (three titles) and Korea (two titles). The Uber Cup has only spread to two continents so far: Asia and North America.

Nine teams have made it into the finals. The finalists other than the five winner countries above are Denmark, England, the Netherlands and Thailand. Sweden, Hong Kong, Germany, Chinese Taipei and India are the other fives teams which have made it into the final four.

Teams Titles Runners-up Semi-finalists Third place Fourth place Top 4 total
  China 16 (1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2024) 4 (1994, 1996, 2010, 2022) 1 (2018) 21
  Japan 6 (1966, 1969, 1972, 1978, 1981, 2018) 3 (1975, 2014, 2020) 7 (1990, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2022, 2024) 2 (1986, 1988) 18
  Indonesia 3 (1975, 1994, 1996) 8 (1969, 1972, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1998, 2008, 2024) 4 (1990, 1992, 2000, 2010) 1 (1988) 16
  United States 3 (1957, 1960, 1963) 1 (1966) 4
  South Korea 2 (2010, 2022) 7 (1988, 1990, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2016) 9 (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2024) 2 (1984, 1986) 20
  Denmark 3 (1957, 1960, 2000) 3 (1996, 1998, 2004) 1 (1984) 7
  England 2 (1963, 1984) 2
  Thailand 1 (2018) 3 (2012, 2020, 2022) 4
  Netherlands 1 (2006) 1 (2002) 2
  Sweden 2 (1992, 1994) 2
  Germany 2 (2006, 2008) 2
  India 2 (2014, 2016) 2
  Hong Kong 1 (2002) 1
  Chinese Taipei 1 (2006) 1

Bold text denotes team was host country.

Team appearances at the final stages

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Map showing countries that qualified for the final stages of the Uber Cup

As of 2022, 28 teams have qualified in the history of the competition for the final stages of the Uber Cup. Asia and Europe are the continent with the most teams, at ten. Africa and Oceania have each had three teams that qualified, while Canada and United States are the only team that has qualified from Pan America.

Below is the list of teams that have appeared in the final stage of Uber Cup as of the 2024 tournament.

27 times
23 times
21 times
15 times
14 times
13 times
11 times
10 times
9 times
6 times
5 times
3 times
2 times
1 time

References

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  1. ^ "Thomas and Uber Cups to Stay Together". badminton-information. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Thomas -/Uber Cup history". Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  3. ^ a b "THE LADIES' WORLD TEAM BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE UBER CUP". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  4. ^ From 1957 to 1981, Uber Cup actually played each edition for two years, the years shown here is only for final tournament.