Group C: Powerhouses with Vulnerabilities

For a team that have been a traditional power in the sport since the earliest days, Malaysia have had somewhat lean pickings at the World Mixed Team Championships.

Of their three bronze medals, two came in the last couple of editions. As the TotalEnergies BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 draws into view, Malaysia will hope to maintain or better their recent record.

They have some of the same core personnel that brought them bronze medals in 2021 and 2023. The one big name missing from the roster is Lee Zii Jia, who played a pivotal role in their last two campaigns. In his absence, Justin Hoh and Leong Jun Hao will be called upon to shoulder men’s singles responsibilities as they begin their assignments in Group C against Japan, France and Australia.

It is in the paired events that Malaysia pack a punch. Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and Nur Izzuddin/Goh Sze Fei are among the best in the business in men’s doubles, while Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (women’s doubles) and Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie (mixed) lend solidity to the squad. Malaysia’s one concern will be women’s singles, and they will hope for Goh Jin Wei or Letshanaa Karupathevan to step up if it comes to the crunch.

The overwhelming favourites from Group C are of course Japan, who very nearly upset China in the semifinals of the last edition. With Kodai Naraoka, Koki Watanabe, Tomoka Miyazaki and Tomoka Miyazaki in singles, and strong women’s doubles combinations, Japan have several things going their way.

Yet, while they are exceptionally strong in some departments, there will be some concern around the form of men’s doubles spearheads Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, who have played only one international match this season. Their second pair is world No.59 Hiroki Midorikawa/Kyohei Yamashita, semifinalists at the Swiss Open.

In mixed doubles, they will be encouraged by the form of Hiroki Midorikawa/Natsu Saito, runners-up at the Badminton Asia Championships recently. The presence of veteran Misaki Matsutomo also gives them possibilities for new partnerships — Japan could have an element of surprise in their choice of combinations.

France have emerged as Europe’s second strongest team, thanks to an exciting crop of talent. They did look capable of going far this time; however, given that some of their strongest players, such as European champions Alex Lanier and Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov, besides Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue, are missing from the lineup, they will be circumspect about their chances.

With France missing their biggest names, Oceania champions Australia will harbour hopes of taking down the European runners-up. Australia will be with their talismanic doubles star Gronya Somerville, who gives them options in women’s doubles and mixed, while the singles will be in the hands of Jack Yu and Tiffany Ho.