KUALA LUMPUR – World number two hockey side Germany has withdrawn from this year’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (SAS).
According to sources within the hockey fraternity, the Germans — who were set to make their return to the prestigious event after more than two decades — were forced to pull out due to logistical issues and preparations for other European tournaments.
“The Germans will not be coming for the tournament this year as they have other commitments. It is a big loss for the tournament as fans were eager to see such a formidable team making their return.
“It is believed they recently sent a letter to the SAS organisers to confirm their withdrawal, despite having confirmed their participation many months ago.
“Playing against them would also have been a great opportunity for our Speedy Tigers to evolve, learn, and improve, in line with national head coach Sarjit Singh’s vision.
“Although it is a setback, there is nothing to worry about as this will not diminish the standard of the competition. The Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) and the Perak Hockey Association (PHA) are working to bring in other strong teams in the coming months,” said the source.
The source added that MHC and PHA are in talks to bring in either Belgium’s second team or South Korea.
“So far, the second Belgium team and South Korea are among the frontrunners to replace Germany. However, there has been no confirmation yet, and MHC and PHA will make an official announcement soon,” the source said.
Germany were scheduled to face host Malaysia (world number 12), Belgium (world number three), India (world number eight), Ireland (world number 11), and Canada (world number 21).
It is understood that they had planned to field a mix of senior and junior players from both their FIH World Cup and FIH Junior World Cup squads.
Earlier, Germany’s national hockey head coach, André Henning, told Scoop that his side needed to participate in this year’s SAS to prepare for next year’s World Cup.
Germany, who won the SAS Cup in 1987 and 2001, last played in the tournament in 2004, while five-time winners India last featured in 2019.
The 31st edition of the SAS is scheduled to take place from November 22 to 29 this year. – August 13, 2025