The 1964 Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton (its female counterpart is the Uber Cup). Beginning in 1948–49 it was held every three years until 1982 and thereafter it has been held every two years. Twenty-six national teams, each (except the defending champion nation) starting from one of four qualifying zones (Asia, Australasia, Europe, and Pan America), vied for the Thomas Cup during the 1963-1964 badminton season.
Qualifying zone winners played-off in Tokyo, Japan for the right to face defending champion Indonesia, which was exempt from earlier ties (team matches), in a conclusive challenge round tie. Prior to 1964 the defending champion nation had regularly hosted both the inter-zone playoffs and the challenge round, but a rules change effective that year prevented the same defending champion nation from having this advantage for two successive Thomas Cup seasons. For a more detailed description of the Thomas Cup format see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
With Malaya and India competing in the Australasian zone, and Japan competing in the Pan American zone, Thailand, the 1961 Thomas Cup runner-up, won the Asian zone by shutting out Taiwan (9–0). After missing the 1960-1961 series, Charoen Wattanasin had returned to the team, while Thailand's other top singles player, Channarong Ratanaseangsuang (living in California) would rejoin the team for the inter-zone matches.
In the Australasian zone a rebuilding Malaya (soon to be Malaysia), with no hold-overs from its champion teams of the 1950s, defeated India (8–1) and Australia (9–0) to advance to the inter-zone playoffs. All-rounder Teh Kew San went eight for eight in this set of ties. Previously the domain of only the USA and Canada, the Pan American zone welcomed Jamaica, Mexico, and "outsider" Japan. The Japanese, however, proved their mettle by shutting out Mexico and by defeating Canada 8–1. In the zone final against the USA, which had won all previous Pan American zone qualifications, Japan prevailed 7–2, despite two singles victories by American stalwart Jim Poole. Playing doubles and third singles, Japan's team captain, Eiichi Nagai won all of his nine matches in this series of ties.
Denmark again won the European zone handily, brushing aside England 8–1 in the final. The Danish lineup boasted five time All-England singles champion Erland Kops (still only 27), the reigning All-England champion Knud Aage Nielsen, the All-England singles runner-up, Henning Borch, and the reigning and six time All-England doubles champions, Finn Kobbero and Jorgen Hammergaard Hansen. With the final ties scheduled for temperate Tokyo rather than equatorial and partisan Jakarta, many observers thought that this would be Denmark's "year."
The following teams, shown by region, qualified for the 1964 Thomas Cup. Defending champion and host Indonesia automatically qualified to defend their title.
