2026 Badminton Asia Team Championships
February 3 – February 8 UTC+8
The 2026 Badminton Asia Team Championships is a major continental badminton competition organized by Badminton Asia, bringing together the strongest national men’s and women’s teams from across Asia. The tournament serves not only as a prestigious team event in its own right, but also as a qualifying pathway to the 2026 BWF Thomas Cup and Uber Cup Finals, making it a crucial milestone in the international badminton calendar.
The 2026 edition is hosted in Qingdao, China, and features separate men’s and women’s team events contested over a six-day period. With traditional powerhouses such as China, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia in action, the championships are expected to deliver high-intensity team battles and showcase Asia’s depth of badminton talent.
Tournament Overview
- Official name: Badminton Asia Team Championships 2026
- Host city: Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Dates: 3–8 February 2026
- Venue: Qingdao Conson Gymnasium
- Organizer: Badminton Asia
- Host association: Chinese Badminton Association
- Competition format: Men’s and Women’s Team Events
- Qualification at stake: Top four teams in each category qualify for the BWF Thomas Cup and Uber Cup Finals
Venue
All matches are held at Qingdao Conson Gymnasium, located in the Laoshan District of Qingdao. The venue is equipped with four competition courts and six practice courts, allowing teams to train and compete within the same complex. February temperatures in Qingdao typically range between -5°C and 5°C, making it one of the colder Asian badminton hosts, particularly for teams from tropical regions .
Competition Format
The championships are played in two stages:
Group Stage
- Teams are divided into four groups.
- Each group follows a round-robin format.
- All five matches in each tie are played:
- Three singles
- Two doubles
- The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.
Knockout Stage
- Begins with the quarter-finals, followed by semi-finals and finals.
- In knockout ties, play stops once a team secures three match wins.
- Teams from the same group cannot meet again in the quarter-finals.
Each tie consists of:
- Men’s Team: 3 men’s singles + 2 men’s doubles
- Women’s Team: 3 women’s singles + 2 women’s doubles
No player may compete in more than one singles and one doubles match per tie .
Provisional Tournament Schedule
The official provisional timetable for the championships is as follows:
| Date | Round | Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 3 February | Group Stage | Session 1 – 11:00 am Session 2 – 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday, 4 February | Group Stage | Session 1 – 11:00 am Session 2 – 5:00 pm |
| Thursday, 5 February | Group Stage | Session 1 – 11:00 am Session 2 – 5:00 pm |
| Friday, 6 February | Quarter Finals | Session 1 – 10:00 am Session 2 – 5:00 pm |
| Saturday, 7 February | Semi Finals | Session 1 – 10:00 am Session 2 – 5:00 pm |
| Sunday, 8 February | Finals | Session 1 – 9:30 am Session 2 – 6:00 pm |
The schedule remains subject to adjustment due to broadcast requirements or operational considerations .
Participating Teams
A total of 12 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams are entered for the 2026 championships.
Participating Member Associations
- China
- Chinese Taipei
- Hong Kong China
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Korea
- Macau China (men only)
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Singapore
- Thailand
Group Draw
Men’s Team Groups
- Group A: China, Thailand, Macau China
- Group B: Chinese Taipei, Korea, Hong Kong China
- Group C: Japan, India, Singapore
- Group D: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar
Women’s Team Groups
- Group W: China, Malaysia, Hong Kong China
- Group X: Japan, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei
- Group Y: Thailand, India, Myanmar
- Group Z: Korea, Singapore
Seeding and Team Strength
Team seeding for both the men’s and women’s events is determined by total BWF World Ranking points, calculated from:
- The top three singles players
- The top two doubles pairs
from each team.
The seeding date for the 2026 championships is 6 January 2026, ensuring relatively current rankings are reflected in the draw. This system aims to balance groups while still rewarding teams with greater overall depth .
Qualification for Thomas & Uber Cup Finals
One of the tournament’s primary functions is qualification for the BWF Thomas Cup (men) and Uber Cup (women) Finals. The four semi-finalists from each category automatically qualify.
If the host nation or defending champions occupy qualifying positions, additional slots may be allocated based on continental world rankings, in accordance with BWF regulations .
Champions (To Be Updated)
This section will be updated after the conclusion of the tournament.
- Men’s Team Champion: TBC
- Women’s Team Champion: TBC
- Runners-up: TBC
- Semi-finalists: TBC
Legacy and Significance
The Badminton Asia Team Championships continues to grow in importance as Asia remains the sport’s strongest continent. The 2026 edition in Qingdao is expected to serve as a key benchmark ahead of major global events, offering insights into team depth, emerging players, and tactical trends in elite team badminton.
Once completed, the tournament’s results will play a significant role in shaping expectations for the upcoming Thomas & Uber Cup Finals, while also reinforcing Asia’s dominance in the global badminton landscape.