NANNING, China, March 19 (Xinhua) -- China have been drawn with Malaysia and India in a tough Group D at 2019 Sudirman Cup badminton tournament.

The 2019 Sudirman Cup will be held from May 19 to 26 in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Only 12 teams are qualified to compete for the Sudirman Cup, with Japan ranking first followed by China.

Group A features Japan, Thailand and Russia. Indonesia, Denmark and England are in Group B, and Chinese Taipei, South Korea and Hong Kong round out Group C.

The first two teams in each group will proceed to the quarterfinals.

"It's a rare chance for our elite men and women to join forces and play for national pride against the best badminton teams in the world. It's also a celebration of the sport's global reach," said Darren Parks, BWF events director, "It's the fifth time the World Mixed Team Championships have been staged in China. The stage is now set for what promises to be eight fantastic days of premier badminton action."