Australia hockey team during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in 2015
Australia hockey team (yellow jersey) in action during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in 2015MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament 2018 is set for a kick-start on February 3 at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Malaysia. The India hockey team have not won the tournament in this decade. They have won it five times, with the latest one coming in 2010 -- the trophy was shared with South Korea.

Australia -- winner of the prestigious hockey tournament on nine occasions -- remain the favourites once again to win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in the 27th edition as well. They won the trophy last in 2016.

Great Britain are the defending champions, but it is England who are participating this time around.

Coaches of all participating teams this year

  1. England: Bobby Crutchley
  2. India: Sjoerd Marijne
  3. Ireland: Craig Fulton
  4. Malaysia: Stephen van Huizen
  5. Argentina: None
  6. Australia: Colin Batch

History of the tournament: Sultan Azlan Shah, fondly known as the 'Father of Malaysian Hockey', was the founder of the field hockey tournament in 1983. He served as the 34th Sultan of Perak from 1984 to 2014 and was the president of the Asian Hockey Federation from 1994 until his death at the age of 86 in May 2014

2018 tournament schedule: Three matches are scheduled each day with rest days in between.

A match between Australia and Germany during the 2001 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A match between Australia and Germany during the 2001 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaStanley Chou/ALLSPORT via Getty

How to watch the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2018 matches

Tournament length: March 3 to 10

TV broadcast info: Star Sports 1/HD (India), Fox Sports (Australia), Astro Arena (Malaysia) 

Live streaming info: Hotstar, Fox Sports Play, Astro Go 

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