Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2019: Everything you wanted to know about the 28th edition of this World Class event

Come March and Malaysia will be all set to once again show that they can host big, bold, and an action packed tournament.

Malaysia will be rolling out the 28th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2019 in Ipoh from starting March 23 to March 30.

This edition of this men’s invitational competition which hopes to be another action-packed, exciting event, will feature six teams – India, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Poland.

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup began in 1983 as a biennial contest. The tournament became an annual event after 1998, following its growth and popularity.

The event is named after legendary hockey fan and former FIH Executive Board Member HRH Sultan Azlan Shah, the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, who sadly passed away in 2014.

Although the man known as “the father of Malaysian Hockey” is no longer with us, both his name and legacy lives on in this ever entertaining competition.

Asian Games gold medallists Japan will be among the six teams competing in the 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. The other teams are India, Canada, Poland, South Korea, and Malaysia.

This edition of the tournament will not see defending champions Australia featuring in this event, due to their participation at the FIH Pro League.

This event is certainly an example for other potential hosts looking to set up invitational events in the future.

Perak Hockey Association secretary M. Selvakumaran said that six teams have confirmed their participation.

“The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be good preparation for Malaysia for the men’s FIH Series Finals hockey tournament,” said Selvakumaran, who is also the organising secretary of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Performance by continental zones