Where was the inaugural Thomas Cup badminton tournament held in 1949?

The inaugural Thomas Cup badminton tournament was held in Preston, England, in 1949.

The competition was the first international men's team championship in badminton. It was organized by the International Badminton Federation, now known as the Badminton World Federation, after Sir George Alan Thomas proposed a world team event and donated the trophy.

The tournament began in 1948 and concluded in 1949, with preliminary ties in several regions before the inter-zone and challenge stages. Malaya defeated Denmark in the final, becoming the first Thomas Cup champion.

Preston is sometimes confused with the location of later finals, particularly Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The Thomas Cup is now staged in a regular cycle alongside the women's Uber Cup, but its first edition used a different multi-stage format and was played over more than one year.