Thomas Cup 2026: France beat Indonesia 4-1 and knock it out, a shock for Indonesian badminton
In the Group D decider in Horsens, Indonesia's only point came from Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri; the Indonesian federation apologised.
The tie
France beat Indonesia 4-1 in the Thomas Cup Group D decider in Horsens, Denmark, on Tuesday 28 April 2026 (a BWF post dated the fixture 29 April), according to The Jakarta Post and SpotvNow. Indonesia's only point came from Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, who beat Christo and Toma Junior Popov in the last match, the Jakarta Post says; it adds that Indonesia had beaten Thailand 3-2 and needed two points against France to reach the quarter-finals.
How big a shock
The two reports describe the stage differently: the Jakarta Post says it was the first time Indonesia failed to reach the quarter-finals, while SpotvNow says it failed to reach the semi-finals, only the second time after 2012. We cannot say which framing is exact. SpotvNow calls it one of the biggest shocks of the tournament and one of France's greatest badminton achievements against the 14-time champions.
The reaction
The Jakarta Post reports that the Indonesian federation and senior officials apologised, quoting Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Taufik Hidayat: "I personally and officially apologize for the result." It adds that the women's team reached the Uber Cup semi-finals and won bronze, meeting the federation's target.
Why it matters
The result is a marker of how depth is spreading: France went on to reach the final, as we reported separately.