Jakarta hosted the first Sudirman Cup badminton tournament in 1989.
The inaugural event took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Indonesia won the first title. The tournament was created as a world championship for mixed national teams, bringing together men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The Sudirman Cup is named after Dick Sudirman, an Indonesian badminton administrator and one of the founders of the sport’s international federation. Holding the first edition in Jakarta connected the new competition with Sudirman’s country and with Indonesia’s strong badminton tradition.
The tournament is not the same as the Thomas Cup or Uber Cup. Those competitions divide world team championships into men’s and women’s events, while the Sudirman Cup combines both in one tie. It is generally held every two years and requires a country to develop strength across several disciplines to contend for the trophy.