# 1979 Thomas Cup qualification

The qualifying process for the 1979 Thomas Cup took place from 27 August 1978 to 25 February 1979 to decide the final teams which will play in the final tournament.

## Qualification process

The qualification process is divided into four regions, the Asian Zone, the American Zone, the European Zone and the Australasian Zone. Teams in their respective zone will compete in a knockout format. Teams will compete for two days, with two singles and doubles played on the first day and three singles and two doubles played on the next day. The teams that win their respective zone will earn a place in the final tournament to be held in Jakarta.
Indonesia qualified for the inter-zone play-offs as defending champions and hosts.

### Qualified teams

| Country | Qualified as | Qualified on | Final appearance |
| Indonesia | 1976 Thomas Cup winners | 5 June 1976 | 8th |
| India | Asian Zone winners | 25 February 1979 | 4th |
| Denmark | European Zone winners | 18 February 1979 | 11th |
| Canada | American Zone winners | 14 January 1979 | 4th |
| Japan | Australasian Zone winners | 24 September 1978 | 3rd |

## Asian Zone
### Bracket

| First round | First round | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| India | w/o | | |
| Pakistan | | | |
| Pakistan | | India | w/o |
| | | Thailand | |
| Thailand | | Thailand | |
| Thailand | | | | 24 February 1979 – Kuala Lumpur | 24 February 1979 – Kuala Lumpur |
| Bye | | | | 24 February 1979 – Kuala Lumpur | 24 February 1979 – Kuala Lumpur |
| Bye | | | | India | 5 |
| November 1978 | November 1978 | | | | India | 5 |
| November 1978 | November 1978 | | | Malaysia | 4 |
| Singapore | w/o | | | Malaysia | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | w/o | | | | |
| Sri Lanka | w/o | Bye | | | |
| | | Malaysia | |
| Malaysia | | Malaysia | |
| Bye | | | |

### First round

In the first round of the Asian zone, the tie between Singapore and Sri Lanka was not played due to both teams withdrawing their affiliation with the International Badminton Federation. The two teams were consequently scratched from the competition. Pakistan also withdrew their affiliation to the IBF and was also scratched from the competition. In May 1978, the IBF banned their members from taking part in any badminton events sanctioned by the World Badminton Federation, which was a rival and opposition to the IBF. The IBF also barred their members from taking part in the 1978 WBF World Championships in Bangkok.

### Semi-finals

Thailand were due to play the winners of the India-Pakistan tie. It was later revealed that the Thai team were excluded from the competition and India would directly face Malaysia in the Asian zone final. Phiensak Sosothikul, who was the General Secretary of the Badminton Association of Thailand at the time, received a letter from the IBF, requesting them to declare which badminton federation they officially recognized. The IBF also warned the Thai association that recognition of the WBF would result in a total ban from participating in the Thomas Cup.

### Final
## American Zone
### Bracket

| First round | First round | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| United States | | | | |
| United States | | 13 January 1979 – Ottawa | 13 January 1979 – Ottawa | | |
| Bye | | 13 January 1979 – Ottawa | 13 January 1979 – Ottawa | |
| Bye | | United States | 4 | |
| 19 October 1978 – Lima | 19 October 1978 – Lima | | United States | 4 | |
| 19 October 1978 – Lima | 19 October 1978 – Lima | Canada | 5 | |
| Canada | 9 | Canada | 5 | |
| Canada | 9 | | | | 27 February 1979 – Kelowna | 27 February 1979 – Kelowna |
| Peru | 0 | | | | 27 February 1979 – Kelowna | 27 February 1979 – Kelowna |
| Peru | 0 | | | | Canada | w/o |
| | | | | | Mexico | |
| Mexico | | | | | Mexico | |
| Mexico | | December 1978 | December 1978 | | | |
| Bye | | December 1978 | December 1978 | | | |
| Bye | | Mexico | w/o | | | |
| | | Taiwan | | |
| Taiwan | | Taiwan | | |
| Bye | | | | |

### Final

The final of the American zone between Canada and Mexico was cancelled when the Mexican team pulled out of the competition because the team was not ready. Therefore, Canada advanced to the final tournament.

## European Zone
### Bracket

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| Belgium | | | | | | |
| Belgium | | 24 November 1978 – Brussels | 24 November 1978 – Brussels | | | | |
| Bye | | 24 November 1978 – Brussels | 24 November 1978 – Brussels | | | |
| Bye | | Belgium | 0 | | | |
| 19 October 1978 – Sunderland | 19 October 1978 – Sunderland | | Belgium | 0 | | | |
| 19 October 1978 – Sunderland | 19 October 1978 – Sunderland | England | 9 | | | |
| Scotland | 0 | England | 9 | | | |
| Scotland | 0 | | | | 30 January 1979 – Carlisle | 30 January 1979 – Carlisle | |
| England | 9 | | | | 30 January 1979 – Carlisle | 30 January 1979 – Carlisle |
| England | 9 | | | | England | 3 |
| | | | | | Sweden | 6 |
| Bye | | | | | Sweden | 6 |
| Bye | | | | | | |
| Bye | | Bye | | | | |
| | | Sweden | | | | |
| Sweden | | Sweden | | | | |
| Sweden | | | | | | | 17 February 1979 – Umeå | 17 February 1979 – Umeå |
| Bye | | | | | | | 17 February 1979 – Umeå | 17 February 1979 – Umeå |
| Bye | | | | | | | Sweden | 2 |
| 10 November 1978 – Oslo | 10 November 1978 – Oslo | | | | | | | Sweden | 2 |
| 10 November 1978 – Oslo | 10 November 1978 – Oslo | | | | | | Denmark | 7 |
| Netherlands | 6 | | | | | | Denmark | 7 |
| Netherlands | 6 | 16 December 1978 – Heerlen | 16 December 1978 – Heerlen | | | | | |
| Norway | 3 | 16 December 1978 – Heerlen | 16 December 1978 – Heerlen | | | | | |
| Norway | 3 | Netherlands | 5 | | | | | |
| | | West Germany | 4 | | | | | |
| West Germany | | West Germany | 4 | | | | | |
| West Germany | | | | | 10 January 1979 – Haarlem | 10 January 1979 – Haarlem | | | |
| Bye | | | | | 10 January 1979 – Haarlem | 10 January 1979 – Haarlem | | |
| Bye | | | | | Netherlands | 1 | | |
| | | | | | Denmark | 8 |
| Bye | | | | | Denmark | 8 |
| Bye | | | | | | |
| Bye | | Bye | | | | |
| | | Denmark | | | | |
| Bye | | Denmark | | | | |
| Denmark | | | | | | |

### Final
## Australasian Zone
### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 27 August 1978 – Invercargill | 27 August 1978 – Invercargill |
| New Zealand | 4 |
| New Zealand | 4 | 23 September 1978 – Perth | 23 September 1978 – Perth |
| Japan | 5 | 23 September 1978 – Perth | 23 September 1978 – Perth |
| Japan | 5 | Japan | 9 |
| | | Australia | 0 |
| Australia | | Australia | 0 |
| Bye | | | |