Sultan Azlan Shah, the father of Malaysian hockey

The survival of sport across the world depends on sponsorship, gate money and nowadays, of course, live television. But there is something beyond all that - royal patronage

Sultan Azlan Shah

The survival of sport across the world depends on sponsorship, gate money and nowadays, of course, live television. But there is something beyond all that - royal patronage. For 27 years, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup has carried on giving international hockey a fillip and keeping the sport alive especially in South East Asia.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah was active in sports in his younger days and competed in hockey, football, athletics and cricket. Later, he was the chef de mission of the Malaysian contingent to the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

The Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament, named after him, is an annual tournament held in Ipoh, the Perak capital city. In fact, the Sultan of Perak who passed away in May, 2014, is called the father of Malaysian hockey. It's an invitational tournament where despite no ranking points, winning the Cup is considered prestigious in world hockey circles.

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