England to take part in 2018 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions England are among the six teams who have confirmed their participation in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Championship 2018 from March 3 to 11 at Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium in Ipoh, Perak.

Besides England, who are ranked seventh in the world, the other teams are world number one and nine-time champions Australia, Argentina (second), India (sixth), Ireland (10th) and Malaysia (12th).

Malaysian Hockey Confederation ( MHC) technical director Terry Walsh said the involvement of five of the world’s top 10 teams would provide the best preparation for the Malaysian Tigers ahead of the 2018 World Cup in India in November.

“Of the six teams competing, Malaysia is ranked sixth, and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be a platform to test the national team’s ability, apart from being a challenge for them to finish in a better position,” he was quoted as saying on MHC’s website, www.mhc. org.my.

Walsh said the presence of four non-Asian teams was also a good chance for the squad under head coach Stephen Van Huizen to prepare for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in April.

The Australian-born coach hopes the national team do well in Ipoh, which would help them pursue the 2018 Asian Games gold in Indonesia, and book an automatic slot for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan.

Malaysia have finished as runners up in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament five times, in 1985, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014.