RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian men’s badminton team suffered a historic early exit from the 2026 Thomas Cup, failing to reach the knockout stage for the first time after a decisive defeat to France in the final Group D match.

The team finished third in the group behind Thailand and France, ending their campaign earlier than ever before in the tournament’s history. Indonesia’s fate was sealed after a 1-4 loss to France in the crucial tie that determined qualification for the knockout rounds.

“On behalf of Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), I apologize for not being able to deliver the best result in this Thomas Cup," Head of Development and Achievement at the PBSI, Eng Hian, in an official statement on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

"We must admit France performed better than us,” he added.

With the result, Indonesia collected two points and lost out on set difference to Thailand and France, who finished first and second respectively with the same points tally.

“We accept this result and acknowledge France’s superiority, as they were able to capitalize on opportunities very well in each match,” Eng Hian said.

The outcome marks a significant setback for Indonesia, a nation with a strong tradition in the Thomas Cup, as it is their first-ever group-stage elimination. Indonesia’s previous worst result came in 2012 when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals.

Following the disappointing campaign, PBSI has pledged to conduct a thorough evaluation of the team’s performance. ***