BANGKOK: China regained the Thomas Cup after a six-year wait following a 3-1 win over Japan in the final here on Sunday.
And China achieved the win without having third singles player Lin Dan to play in any of the ties in the knockout stage.
The squad, now under chief coach Xia Xuanze following the departure of Li Yongbo last year, silenced the critics who slammed the team for failing to win in the last two editions.
It was also their 10th Thomas Cup victory since the 1982 edition in London.
"It is definitely a huge relief for all of us, so much so that we feel like having a drink right now," said Xuanze.
"We were criticised by the press in the last couple of years, so it is a great win for us.
"Japan were great, but our players played very well too, to secure the title," added Xuanze, who also confirmed that Lin Dan will not be quitting anytime soon despite playing a very minimal role in the team this year.
"Lin Dan may not have played, but he is still part of this team. He is not quitting yet and will continue to play in China."
Results
China 3 Japan 1 (Chen Long lost to Kento Momota 21-9, 21-18, Liu Cheng-Zhang Nan bt Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneko 21-10, 21-18; Shi Yuqi bt Kenta Nishimoto 21-12, 21-17; Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen bt Keigo Sonoda-Yuta Watanabe 17-21, 21-19, 22-20.