Azlan Shah hockey tournament cancelled

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2021 Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup tournament scheduled for June 18-27 has been cancelled following a surge in COVID-19 cases in Malaysia.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said the decision was made with the consent of Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah. The championship is expected to be held in April next year.

“However, if the situation improves and there is an opportunity to invite foreign teams, we might look into holding it in December this year,” he told a press conference after its Executive Board meeting.

He said the meeting also decided to introduce new conditions for athletes applying for the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in championships overseas. Athletes wishing to play outside the country need to get the NOC from their state association first before submitting it to MHC, he said.