England hosted the first Thomas Cup badminton tournament in 1949.
The inaugural competition took place in Preston, Lancashire, from 22 to 28 February 1949. Malaysia won the first title, defeating Denmark in the final. The tournament was named after Sir George Alan Thomas, an English badminton player and administrator who donated the trophy.
The Thomas Cup is the men’s world team championship. It was originally planned for 1941–42, but the Second World War delayed its launch until 1949. The event is played between national teams rather than individual players, with ties decided through singles and doubles matches.
England hosted the first edition, but Malaysia became the inaugural champion. That distinction is why the host country and the first winning country are different facts often mixed up in summaries of the tournament’s history.