In the heart of Malaysia, some of the world’s best hockey nations will renew their rivalry as the 30th edition of the prestigious Sultan Azlan Shah Cup takes place in Ipoh, Malaysia from May 4-11.
This year, the tournament not only promises exhilarating matches but also serves as a precursor to another big event looming on the horizon. Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be played between 6 teams namely Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea. Of these six participating teams, five other than Japan will travel to Knysno after the tournament to participate in the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup, where there is a chance for a title and promotion to FIH Hockey Pro. The league will be in jeopardy.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 will start with a round robin stage where all 6 teams will play once followed by stage playoffs. The bottom two teams in the league round will meet in the 5th place classification match. The teams finishing third and fourth in the pool stage will compete for bronze, while the top two teams will play in the final for the title.
Malaysia Reigning champions of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from 2022, the 30th edition has been postponed from 2023 to 2024. This is the 29th edition in which the hosts have won the title, making it the 5th runner-up in history. Competition.
Korea Three-time winners of the tournament, their last title-winning campaign in 2019 and a team that is producing its best in historically high-stakes tournament hockey.
PakistanAnd the three-time champions will be looking to build on their impressive FIH Hockey Olympic qualification campaign, which saw them miss out on Olympic qualification by the narrowest of margins as they build on the Nations Cup.
New Zealand, champions of the Sultan Aslan Shah Cup in 2012 and 2015, are back on the upward trajectory after being relegated from the FIH Hockey Pro League last season by qualifying for the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. If New Zealand can continue their forward momentum, they will be among the favorites for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, where a win will send them back to the FIH Hockey Pro League for the 2024-25 season.
Canada 2024 will be their tenth appearance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and will be hoping to improve on their 4th place finish in 2019, their best finish in the history of the event.
Japan The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be the only team to play in 2024 that will not headline the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Knysno, Poland. However, it should sharpen the team’s resolve as they aim for their first podium position in their sixth appearance at the tournament.
As the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup unfolds its drama, the five teams heading to the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in a fortnight will not only compete for supremacy, but use the platform to fine-tune their strategies and test their mettle. High level competition.
Full match schedule for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 may be available Found here.