Within the coronary heart of Malaysia, among the finest hockey nations on the earth are about to resume their rivalry, because the thirtieth version of the celebrated Sultan Azlan Shah Cup can be performed in Ipoh, Malaysia from 4-11 Might.
This yr, the match not solely guarantees exhilarating matches but in addition serves as a prelude to a different massive occasion looming on the horizon. The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup can be contested between six groups, particularly Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea. Of those six collaborating groups, 5 groups excluding Japan, can be heading to Gniezno shortly after the match, to take part within the FIH Hockey Males’s Nations Cup, the place the title in addition to a chance to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Professional League can be at stake.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 will start with a spherical robin stage the place all 6 groups will play one another as soon as, adopted by positional playoffs. The groups ending within the backside two locations of the league stage will contest in a fifth place classification match. Groups ending in third and fourth place within the pool stage will compete for bronze, whereas the highest two groups will play within the ultimate for the title.
Malaysia are the reigning champions of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from 2022, for the reason that thirtieth version was postponed from 2023 to 2024. The twenty ninth version was the primary time the hosts gained the title, having completed as runners-up on 5 events within the historical past of the competitors.
Korea are three-time winners of the competitors, with their final title profitable marketing campaign coming in 2019 and have traditionally been a workforce that produces its finest in high-stakes match hockey.
Pakistan, additionally three-time champions, can be trying to construct on their spectacular FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers marketing campaign the place they missed out on Olympic qualification by the narrowest of margins, as they build-up to the Nations Cup.
New Zealand, the champions of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2012 and 2015, are again on the upward trajectory by qualifying for the upcoming Olympic Video games Paris 2024, which got here after their relegation from the FIH Hockey Professional League final season. If New Zealand can proceed their ahead momentum, they are going to be among the many favourites for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in addition to the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, the place a victory can propel them again into the FIH Hockey Professional League for the 2024-25 season.
Canada will make their tenth look on the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2024 and can be hoping to enhance upon their 4th place end in 2019, which accounts for his or her finest outcome within the historical past of the occasion.
Japan would be the sole workforce enjoying on the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024, which gained’t be headed to the FIH Hockey Males’s Nations Cup in Gniezno, Poland. Nevertheless, that ought to on sharpen the resolve of the workforce, to intention for his or her first ever podium place of their sixth look within the competitors.
Because the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup unfurls its drama, the 5 groups that can be heading to the FIH Hockey Males’s Nations Cup inside a fortnight, is not going to solely vie for supremacy but in addition use this platform to fine-tune their methods and take a look at their mettle towards top-notch competitors.
The complete match schedule for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024, could be discovered right here.
