Nanning, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of the BWF Sudirman Cup 2019 was held Friday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The 2019 Sudirman Cup will be held from May 19 to 26 in Nanning, with 377 athletes from 31 countries and regions, including China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, India and Denmark.

12 qualified teams were divided into four groups and the top two teams in each group will proceed to the quarterfinals.

"This year, the great city of Nanning enters the family of major event hosts by staging the 16th edition of the World Mixed Team Championships. The Sudirman Cup is the ultimate test of all-round team strength and brings together the best male and female players on the one stage. I look forward to another exciting week of badminton and wish all teams the best of luck," BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer said at the opening ceremony.

Host China will open their Sudirman Cup campaign against Malaysia on Sunday. Enditem