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Game                : India v Malaysia

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009 Final

Date                   : April 12, 2009

Final score      : India 3-1 Malaysia ( Result- India win)

Goal scorers :  Arjun Halappa 8′, Prabhjot Singh 20′, Shivendra Singh 41′/ Azlan Misrom 11′

India scored three against Malaysia for the second time in the tournament as they beat the hosts in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup today.

India, who had beaten the hosts 3-0 in the earlier group game, took the lead through Arjun Halappa in the 8th minute. Malaysia replied through Azlan Misrom, but Prabhjot Singh restored India’s lead in the 20th minute.

Shivendra Singh added a third for India in the 41st minute, and as the final whistle blew, coach Harendra Singh and his boys celebrated their fourth Azlan Shah Cup title.

India had previously won the tournament in 1985, 1991 and 1995. This was the second time they were playing Malaysia for the title- the two teams had battled for the crown in 1985 too.

India had finished second in last year’s Azlan Shah Cup. They lost to Argentina in the final then.

In the third fourth place playoff, New Zealand beat Pakistan 2-1.

Game : New Zealand v Pakistan

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009 Bronze medal play off

Date : April 12, 2009

Final score : New Zealand 2-1 Pakistan

Goal scorers : Blair Hopping 12′, Joel Baker 13′/ Shakeel Abbasi 35′

New Zealand have claimed the bronze medal by beating Pakistan in the third fourth place in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia today.

Skipper Blair Hopping gave the Black Sticks the lead, and Joel Baker added another one minute later as New Zealand dealt twin blows early in the match.

Shakeel Abbasi did pull one back for Pakistan, but unfortunately for them, they could manage to score another goal.

Final standings from the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup ( As on April 11, 2009 after the final round of games were played)

Team                GP    Won    Lost    Draw    Points
India                4        2           0           2            8
Malaysia         4        2           1           1           7
New Zealand 4        1            0         3            6
Pakistan         4         1            3         0            3
Egypt              4         0           2          2            2

Final standings from the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup ( As on April 11, 2009 after the final round of games were played)

Team GP Won Lost Draw Points
India 4 2 0 2 8
Malaysia 4 2 1 1 7
New Zealand 4 1 0 3 6
Pakistan 4 1 3 0 3
Egypt 4 0 2 2 2

Third placed playoff

New Zealand 2-1 Pakistan

( Click for Match report)

India v Malaysia ( Final) ( Click for Match Report)

Final Standings:-

1.) India

2.) Malaysia

3.) New Zealand

4.) Pakistan

5.) Egypt
Final Standings:-

1.) India

2.) Malaysia

3.) New Zealand

4.) Pakistan

5.) Egypt

Game               : Malaysia v New Zealand

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                  : April 11, 2009

Final score     : Malaysia 1-1 New Zealand

Goal scorers : Chua Boon Huat 48′/ Nicholas Wilson 49′

Hosts Malaysia entered their third Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final after drawing 1-1 against New Zealand today.

The Kiwis, wh0 needed a win to reach the finals, fell behind in the 48th minute when the experienced Chua Boon Huat scored for the firsts. They however recovered the very next minute,  as Nicholas Wilson scored from open play.

However New Zealand could not get a second goal, and Malaysia will now play India, who beat Pakistan in the other match of the day, in the final on Sunday.

Game               : India v Pakistan

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                  : April 11, 2009

Final score     : India 2-1 Pakistan

Goal scorers : Sandeep Singh 29′, 61′ , Mohammad Saqlain 50′

Last year’s runners up India booked their spot in the final of this edition’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after a hard fought 2-1 victory over Pakistan. Indian skipper Sandeep Singh was the hero for the winning side, scoring both goals.

India will take on hosts Malaysia, who drew with New Zealand in the other game.

Singh gave India the lead through a penalty stroke in the 29th minute which was awarded after Fareed Ahmed had come in the way of his penalty corner.

Mohammad Saqlain equalised for Pakistan in the 50th minute, deflecting Ehsan Ullah’s free hit.

However Singh scored from another penalty corner in the 61st minute to seal victory for the Indians. Pakistan pressed hard for an equaliser, but India’s defence, which has been guilty of giving away late goals in many recent games, somehow held on till the final whistle.

India will play their fifth Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final on Sunday against Malaysia.

Game               : Egypt v Pakistan

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                  : April 9, 2009

Final score     : Egypt 0-4 Pakistan

Goal scorers : Muhammad Imran 13′, Fareed Ahmad 18′,
Shakeel Abbasi 43′, 67′

Pakistan crushed any chances that debutants Egypt might have had of reaching the final as they routed them 4-0 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia today.

Muhammad Imran gave Pakistan the lead in the 13th minute, and Fareed Ahmad doubled it in the 18th minute. Shakeel Abbasi struck twice in the second half to give Pakistan a comfortable 4-0 win.

Pakistan next play India.

Game               : New Zealand vs India

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                  : April 9, 2009

Final score     : New Zealand 2-2 India

Goal scorers : Richard Petherick 8′, Joseph Holomew Barth 64′/
Sandeep Singh 27′, 48′

Indian skipper Sandeep Singh scored a brace, but it was not enough to get his side a win against New Zealand in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup today in Malaysia.

New Zealand opened the scoring through Richard Petherick’s penalty corner, but Singh equalised before half time from a PC and then put India ahead with his fourth goal of the tournament in the 48th minute.

The Kiwis were determined not to give up, and Joseph Barth got a 64th minute equaliser.

India play Pakistan next, while New Zealand face hosts Malaysia.

Azlan Shah Tables can be seen here.

All results from the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

April 5, 2009, Sunday

India 2-2 Egypt ( 17.00) ( Click for match report)

Pakistan 2-3 Malaysia (19.00) ( Click for match report)

April 6, 2009, Monday

New Zealand 3-2 Pakistan (17.00) ( Click for Match Report)

Malaysia 4-1 Egypt (19.00) ( Click for Match report)

April 7, 2009, Rest Day

April 8, Wednesday

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tables can be viewed here.

New Zealand v Egypt (17.00) ( Click for Match Report)

India v Malaysia (19.00) ( Click for Match Report

April 9, Thursday

New Zealand v India ( Click for Match report)

Egypt 0-4 Pakistan ( Click for Match Report)

April 11, Saturday

India 2-1 Pakistan ( Click for Match Report)

Malaysia 1-1 New Zealand ( Click for Match Report)

April 12, Saturday

Third placed playoff

New Zealand 2-1 Pakistan

( Click for Match report)

India v Malaysia ( Final) ( Click for Match Report)

Game              :  Egypt v New Zealand

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                 : April 8,  2009

Final score   : Egypt 1-1 New Zealand

Goal scorers : Ahmad Abd El Hakeim 38′, Steven Edwards 51′

Egypt got their second draw in three games as they shared points with New Zealand in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup today.

The Kiwis had beaten Pakistan 3-2 in their last game, while the Egyptians had been hammered 4-1 by hosts Malaysia. However it was Egypt who took the lead early into the second half through Ahmad Abd El Hakeim.

Steven Edwards cancelled out El Hakeim’s strike in the 51st minute. Egypt had plenty of opportunities to close the game out, but failed to take their chances.

Game              :  Malaysia v India

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                 : April 8,  2009

Final score   : Malaysia 0-3 India

Goal scorers : Arjun Halappa 20′,  Sandeep Singh 32′,  Gurvinder Chandi 61′

India stopped Malaysia from winning three games in a row as they beat the hosts 3-0 today in the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Striker Arjun Halappa gave India the lead in the 20th minute, and Sandeep Singh doubled the scores from a penalty corner in the 32nd minute. Gurvinder Chandi added a field goal nine minutes from time as India ran out 3-0 winners.

Game              :  New Zealand vs Pakistan

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                 : April 6, 2009

Final score   : New Zealand 3-2 Pakistan

Goal scorers : Priyesh Bhana 6′, Nicolas Haig 43′, Dean Couzins 68′/ Mohamed Imran 8′, 22′

Favourites New Zealand started their 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign with a 3-2 win over Pakistan. The loss was Pakistan’s second in the tournament, and leaves them in a difficult position to qualify for the finals for the tournament.

Priyesh Bhana opened the scoring for the Kiwis in the 6th minute, but Pakistan hit back through Mohamed Imran in the 8th minute. Imran then again scored from a penalty corner in the 22nd minute to give Pakistan the lead.

Nicolas Haig levelled scores eight minutes into the second half, and Dean Couzins slammed home the winner from a penalty corner minutes before the final whistle.

Game              : Malaysia v Egypt

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Date                 : April 6, 2009

Final score   : Malaysia 4-1 Egypt

Goal scorers Ismail Abu 26′, Abd Malek Engku 39′, Chua Boon Huat 65′, Mohd Amin Rahim 68′/ Ahmed Abd El Maksowd 45′)

Malaysia recorded their second win in as many games when they beat debutants Egypt 4-1 in the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Malaysia, who had stunned Pakistan 3-2 in their first game, opened the scoring through Ismail Abu in the 26th minute. Abd Malek Engku doubled their lead in the 39th minute. Egypt, who held India to a draw yesterday, pulled one back through Ahmed Abd El Maksowd.

However unlike yesterday, there was no fairytale ending for the Egyptians. Instead Malaysia added two late goals to complete a comprehensive victory.

Game             : Malaysia v Pakistan

Competition : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Time                : 19.00 Malaysia time

Final score and  result : Malaysia 3-2 Pakistan ( Malaysia win)

Goal scorers:- Mohd Amin Rahim 9′, Mohd Shahrun Nabil Abdullah 29′, Azlan Misrom 48′/ Shakeel Abbasi 10′,  Abbas Haider 68′

Malaysia beat Pakistan 3-2 in their opening game of the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. It was Malaysia’s first ever win over Pakistan in seven years, with their last win against Shahid Ali Khan’s men  coming in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

Pakistan, who are fielding a team of youngsters in this tournament, fell behind in the eighth minute when Mohd Amin Rahim scored, but were back on level terms a minute later as Shakeel Abbasi scored.

Malaysia however regained their lead before half time thanks to Mohd Shahrun Nabil Abdullah and Malaysian keeper S.Kumar was the hero for his side in the first half, keeping the Pakistan attackers at bay.

Azlan Misrom added a third midway through the second half, and although Pakistan pressed for an equaliser after Abbas Haider had pulled one back in the 68th minute, Malaysia hung on for a 3-2 win.

Malaysia now lead the standings, and will play New Zealand in their next game.

Game                            : India v Egypt

Competition              : Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Day 1

Time                              : 17.00 Malaysian time

Final score result     : India 2-2 Egypt

Goal scorers:- (Sandeep Singh 15′, Shivendra Singh 49′/Mohamed Hassan 8′, Mohamed El Saied 70′)

India drew 2-2 with Egypt in the opening match of the five nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

The debutants took the lead in the 8th minute through Mohamed Hassan’ penalty corner.

Indian skipper Sandeep Singh brought the scores on level terms as he fired home in the 15th minute from a penalty corner.

Shivendra Singh gave India the lead in the 49th minute as last year’s runners up piled up the pressure on Jerzy Wybieralski’s side.

However Egypt broke Indian hearts with a 70th minute penalty corner  strike from Mohamed El Saied. The Indian defence has gone to sleep on many crucial occasions in the past  ( remember the time they lead 3-0 against the Netherlands in the Champions Trophy with ten minutes left, and somehow ended up losing the game 4-3), and it was a similar lapse in concentration that lead to India conceding the penalty corner.

Here are the schedules and fixtures for the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup starting on April 5, 2009, Sunday. ( All timings are in local Malaysian time. To see the time for your country, please use the timeanddate.com site.

Azlan Shah Tables can be seen here.

April 5, 2009, Sunday

India 2-2 Egypt ( 17.00) ( Click for match report)

Pakistan 2-3 Malaysia (19.00) ( Click for match report)

April 6, 2009, Monday

New Zealand 3-2 Pakistan (17.00) ( Click for Match Report)

Malaysia 4-1 Egypt (19.00) ( Click for Match report)

April 7, 2009, Rest Day

April 8, Wednesday

New Zealand v Egypt (17.00) ( Click for Match Report)

India v Malaysia (19.00) ( Click for Match Report

April 9, Thursday

New Zealand v India 17.00( Click for Match report)

Egypt 0-4 Pakistan ( Click for Match Report)

April 10: Rest Day

April 11, Saturday

India v Pakistan ( 17.00)

Malaysia v New Zealand (19.00)

Click here for the results of the above games- Full Azlan Shah Cup results

April 12

New Zealand 2-1 Pakistan ( Click for Match Report- Third placed playoff)

India v Malaysia ( Final) ( Click for Match Report)

Zeeshan Ashraf will captain the 18 member Pakistan squad for the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament to be held in Malaysia from April 5, 2009.

Zeeshan Ali and Sibtain Raza are the two new faces in the team, which also consists of old war horses like Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Saqlain and co.

Nasir Ahmad,  Muhammad Imran, Zeeshan Ashraf, Ehsan Ullah, Zeeshan Ali, Sibtain Raza, Muhammad Saqlain, Rana Asif, Fareed Ahmad, Sajjad Anwar, Dilawar Bhatti, Waqas Sharif, Shakeel Abbasi, Shabir Khan, Abbas Haider, Tariq Aziz, Shafqat Rasool and Akhtar Ali.

Pakistan results Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Pakistan 2-3 Malaysia ( Click for match report)

The Indian team for the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Malaysia from April 5, 2009 has been announced. Drag flick specialist Sandeep Singh will captain the Indian team in the five nation tournament that also features hosts Malaysia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Egypt.

Indian team for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009

Sandeep Singh (cap), Baljeet Singh, Adrian D’souza (both goalkeepers), Dilip Tirkey, Raghunath, Gurbaj Singh, Sardar Singh, Prabodh Tirkey, Vikram Pillai, I Tignesh, Ajitesh Roy, Tushar Khandekar, Prabhjot Singh, HV Sunil, Bharat Chhikara, GS Chandi, Shivendra Singh and Arjun Halappa.

Please use the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tag on this blog to find out the other team members, schedules, match reports ( of previous events as well as this one)

India Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2009- Results

India 2-2 Egypt ( April 5, 2009)

India have won the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Click here for match report- India 3-1 Malaysia final.

Please check India’s results at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup results page.

7th in 2006

5th in 2007

1st in 2008

The three lines above reflect the performance of the Argentine hockey team in the three times they have participated in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. For most fans and coach Carlos Retegui, it is the last line that they will cherish for years to come- Argentina beat India 2-1 in a keenly contested final to take home their first Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Both the Argentine goals came through Mario Almada, while Sandeep Singh netted for the Indians.

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Great result for New Zealand. They had last beaten Pakistan at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and were thrashed 6-3 by the Asian team in the group game here. It was quite obvious that Pakistan were the favourites going into this game. But with them losing their last two games against Belgium and India, and New Zealand beating Belgium, the Black Sticks did have form on their side. And thanks to goals from prolific forward Simon Child and Lloyd Stephenson, New Zealand finished on the podium at the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

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In a battle between two Olympic bound teams, Canada beat Belgium thanks to a golden goal from Philip Wright and finished fifth in the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup  in Ipoh. For the Canadians, the result was a marked improvement from last year, when they lost to Malaysia, South Korea and Pakistan to finish at the bottom of Group B.  Even worse, they failed to find the back of the net last time. Canada’s last group game- a draw against Argentina, would have given them confidence coming into the fifth/sixth place playoff game.

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Pretty late post this one, but since I’ve covered almost all the group games, I thought I’d add the result of this one too.

New Zealand beat Belgium 3-1 in their final group game at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

For New Zealand, the scorers were Hayden Shaw and Simon Child, with the latter scoring a brace.

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Argentina finished their group engagements in the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh  when they drew 2-2 with Canada in Ipoh on Saturday. The result means that Argentina, who had already qualified for the final prior to this game, finish with fourteen points from six games. They drew with Pakistan and Canada, and beat India, New Zealand, Belgium and Malaysia. Argentina will face India in the final, and will be favourites to beat the team they thrashed 5-1 earlier in the tournament. However India are on a good run, and Retegui will know better than to take the South Asians lightly.

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A team that started this tournament in the worst way possible- with two losses in the first two games, has staged one of the finest comebacks in the history of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to set up a final clash against Argentina. Yes folks, India after losing to New Zealand and Argentina, recorded four wins on the trot ( Canada, Belgium, Pakistan and Malaysia) to finish with twelve points from their six games. By virtue of this win, they finish two points ahead of Pakistan, and have thus earned the right to play Argentina in the final.

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New Zealand scored their second victory in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup when they beat Canada 3-0 in Ipoh on Thursday. The win comes after a streak of three losses to Pakistan, Malaysia and Argentina, meaning that the win does not do anything to help the Black Sticks’ cause for a berth in Sunday’s final.

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India gave their hopes of qualifying the final a huge boost when they beat Pakistan 2-1 in their fifth group game in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh. Despite their shock 3-5 loss to Belgium the previous day, it was Pakistan who started as favourites in the game. A win would see them book their ticket against Argentina in the final on Sunday. A loss would leave them depending on other results. And , with this result, Pakistan will be biting their nails and hoping that the other results go their way- especially the Malaysia India game.

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Fresh from their 5-3 upset win over Pakistan, Beijing bound Belgium once again played some brilliant hockey to beat hosts Malaysia 4-2 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup today. It was Malaysia’s third defeat in the tournament, and the hosts have just four points from five games. They will finish their group engagements when they play India in their final game on Saturday.

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Some poor finishing and dreadful defending saw hosts Malaysia draw a game they should have won at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh. This was Malaysia’s first draw in the tournament, and they now have four points to show for their efforts in the tournament.

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Now here is one result we did not expect- Pakistan, second in the table on goal difference losing to bottom of the table Belgium !! The result means that Pakistan will have to win or draw their next game against India to be sure of meeting Argentina in the final. Should they lose to their arch rivals, and should India put it past Malaysia in their last group game, Pakistan will have to settle for playing the third/fourth place playoffs.

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One of the two finalists for the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup have been determined- Argentina. The South Americans continued their impressive run in Ipoh as they beat New Zealand 2-1 to secure their fourth win in the tournament. This is the first time in three Azlan Shah tournaments that they have made it to the final. In their debut tournament in 2006, they finished seventh ( eight teams participated). Last year, they finished fifth by beating Pakistan in the playoff for fifth/sixth positions.

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Pakistan won their third game at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh when they beat Canada 2-1. Canada, who had lost their previous game 1-3 to India, suprisingly took the lead through Bindi Kullar. Both of Pakistan’s goals came late in the second half, but the fact they took three points is all what matters for the three time champions. Rehan Butt, who scored four against New Zealand, equalised, with Mohammad Saqlain scoring the winner three minutes from time.

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Hosts Malaysia’s chances of finishing in the top of the table at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup were dealt a huge blow when they were thrashed 5-0 by Argentina on Day 5. Malaysia now have two losses and a win from three games, while Argentina remain unbeaten after four games. This is the second time in this tournament that Argentina have pumped in five or more- they had beaten India 5-1 in their second game of the tournament.

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India recorded their second successive win at the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup when they beat Belgium 6-4 in Ipoh. The game, which produced 10 goals, now holds the record for the highest scoring game in this tournament ( not overall), eclipsing Pakistan’s 6-3 win over New Zealand.

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In a battle between two teams who had picked up full points from both their previous encounters, Argentina drew 3-3 with three time champions Pakistan in a keenly fought Sultan Azlan Shah Cup game.

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Eight time Olympic medallists India finally got their act together as they beat Canada 3-1 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. India, who had earlier lost 3-4 to New Zealand and 1-5 to Argentina, came up with an improved performance to win the game 3-1 despite conceding the lead to the Canadians.

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The last two meetings between these two sides had both gone in favour of the Black Sticks-a 4-1 win in China in 2006 ( World Cup qualifiers) and a 1-0 loss in Madrid in 2004 ( Olympic qualifiers). And it was for this precise reason that Sarjit Singh and his boys were confident, but a bit jittery nevertheless on the eve of their second game in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup against New Zealand.

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Here is the list of fixtures at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup being held in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Day 1 (May

Pakistan 3-2 Malaysia

Argentina 2-1 Belgium

New Zealand 4-3 India

Day 2 ( May 9)

Canada 1-0 Belgium

Pakistan 6-3 New Zealand

Argentina 5-1 India

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India’s recent hockey woes continued as they were thrashed 5-1 by Argentina in their second match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. The eight time Olympic gold medallists, who lost 3-4 to New Zealand in their first game, looked hopelessly out of place against the South Americans, whose pace was too hot to handle for the young Asian team.

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This list will be updated regularly, and the current rankings are after the New Zealand vs Belgium game on May 17

Sandeep Singh ( Ind)-8

Rehan Butt ( Pak) -7

Mohammad Saqlain ( Pak)-5

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Belgium suffered their second defeat in a row as they went down 0-1 to Canada in the opening match of the second day of the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.  Canada, who are in Group B in the Beijing Olympics, had Matthew Guest to thank for their 1-0 win over the Belgians, who are ranked higher than them in the FIH rankings.

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After their opening day 3-2 win over hosts Malaysia , Pakistan asserted their status as favourites to win the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup when they thrashed New Zealand 6-3 in Ipoh.

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Pakistan began their quest for a fourth Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with a 3-2 win over hosts Malaysia in the opening match of the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

The hosts took the lead as early as the first minute through Kevinder Singh. Muhammad Ateeq equalised for Pakistan from a penalty corner, but Malaysia took the lead a minute later, with Mohd Amin Rahim converting a penalty corner.

Rehan Butt levelled the scores in the 28th minute, and Mohammad Saqlain scored on the hour mark to give Pakistan a 3-2 win.

In another game, Argentina beat Belgium 2-1. Martin Sosa and Tomas Innocente scored for the South Americans, while Jerome Truyens scored the sole goal of the game for the Belgians.

Pakistan take on New Zealand tomorrow, while Argentina take on India.  The Belgians will play Canada in their second game, also to be played tomorrow.

Olympic participants New Zealand, without Ryan Archibald, began their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign on a winning note when they beat India 4-3.

The Indians, who have finished third in the last two editions of the tournament, started off brightly, taking a two goal advantage in the first twenty minutes.

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The 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup kicks off in Ipoh today. It concludes on May 18.

Defending champions Australia are not participating in the tournament.

Malaysia, of course are the hosts, and will be keen to prove a point after failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. The other teams taking part in the tournament are :-

Canada

Belgium

Argentina

Pakistan

India

New Zealand

Pakistan, New Zealand, Belgium and Canada have all qualified for the Olympics.

Malaysia will be without skipper Shanmugham Kuhan, Mohd Shahrun Nabil and Mohd Razie Abdul Rehman.

There are wholesale changes in the Indian side, after the Asians failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time in eighty years. They also performed poorly in the four nations tournament in Australia, and an Indian T.V. channel ran an operation that claimed that the hockey federation secretary allegedly demanded money for selecting players.

No Prabhjot Singh, Tushar Khandekar, William Xalco, Samir Baxla, Baljit Singh and Ignace Turkey in the Indian lineup.

The schedule for the tournament can be seen here.