The tournament was originally planned for 1941–1942 (badminton seasons in the northern hemisphere traditionally ran from the autumn of one calendar year to the spring of the next), but was delayed when World War II exploded across the continents.
Sir George's dream was finally realized in 1948-1949 when ten national teams participated in the first Thomas Cup competition.
The United States and Denmark won their respective zone qualifications and thus joined Malaya for the inter-zone ties.
Of note, this tie marked the first of only three ever matches between the USA's Dave Freeman and Malaya's[b] Wong Peng Soon the two greatest singles players of the early post-war period.
In the final round held in Preston, England, Malaya beat Denmark 8–1 and became the first nation to win a Thomas Cup.