China's men took home the Thomas Cup on Sunday, clawing back to beat Japan 3-1 and compensate for their early exit from the previous tournament in 2016. China, which boasts some of the world's best players, was the tournament favourite despite not having secured the championship since 2012.
But its players faced added pressure when the national women's team failed to make the final of the concurrent Uber Cup for the first time ever. Both competitions were held in Bangkok at the Impact Arena, which filled up on Sunday in anticipation of a tough battle between top seed China and a scrappy Japanese team. The contest did not disappoint. Japan's flashy left-hander Kento Momota stunned world number five Chen Long 21-9, 21-18, giving the underdog team crucial early momentum.
It was the second time Momota, 23, had stunned Long this year after beating him at the Asian Championships in April in a continuing comeback. He was barred from the sport in 2016 after being caught gambling in an illegal casino but returned to action last year.