Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2026: Full Fixture Guide as Pakistan Return to Ipoh
Pakistan are back at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, and now the road is set. The 32nd edition runs from Friday 20 November to Saturday 28 November at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, with six teams, one round robin, and a finals day that decides everything.
The field is Australia, Canada, South Korea, hosts Malaysia, Pakistan and the United States. The USA are making their first ever appearance in the tournament’s history. Belgium, the defending champions, won’t be there. India aren’t in the field either. Scotland and South Africa, who featured in some early chatter about this edition, are out. This is the settled six, and every team plays every other team once before finals day.
Pakistan open against Canada on Friday 20 November at 2:15pm PKT, then face the USA the next day at 12:00pm PKT. After a rest day, it’s Australia on Monday 23 November at 2:15pm PKT, then South Korea on Tuesday 24 November at 12:00pm PKT. Pakistan’s last round-robin game is the one the hosts will have circled: Malaysia v Pakistan on Thursday 26 November at 4:30pm PKT, under lights in Ipoh, in front of a home crowd that will be loud. If Pakistan are in the top two by then, that game could decide who plays the final.
The format is simple and unforgiving. Five round-robin games each, then finals day on Saturday 28 November: fifth against sixth at 12:00pm PKT, third against fourth at 2:30pm PKT, and the final at 5:00pm PKT. No semi-finals, no second chances. Finish in the top two and you play for the trophy. Finish third and the best you get is bronze.
Here’s the full card, with Malaysian local times converted to Pakistan time (Malaysia is three hours ahead of Pakistan):
Friday 20 November: Australia v United States 12:00pm PKT, Pakistan v Canada 2:15pm PKT, Malaysia v South Korea 4:30pm PKT.
Saturday 21 November: United States v Pakistan 12:00pm PKT, Australia v South Korea 2:15pm PKT, Malaysia v Canada 4:30pm PKT.
Sunday 22 November: rest day.
Monday 23 November: Canada v South Korea 12:00pm PKT, Pakistan v Australia 2:15pm PKT, United States v Malaysia 4:30pm PKT.
Tuesday 24 November: South Korea v Pakistan 12:00pm PKT, Canada v United States 2:15pm PKT, Malaysia v Australia 4:30pm PKT.
Wednesday 25 November: rest day.
Thursday 26 November: Australia v Canada 12:00pm PKT, South Korea v United States 2:15pm PKT, Malaysia v Pakistan 4:30pm PKT.
Friday 27 November: rest day.
Saturday 28 November: 5th v 6th 12:00pm PKT, 3rd v 4th 2:30pm PKT, final 5:00pm PKT.
Pakistan accepted the invitation from the Malaysian Hockey Confederation in mid-October, with PHF president Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani confirming the decision publicly. It’s Pakistan’s first Azlan Shah Cup appearance in years, and it comes right after a busy autumn for Pakistan hockey: the juniors’ run to the Sultan of Johor Cup final, the Guangdong tour at home, and the SCO tournament planned in Islamabad. For the senior side, Ipoh is a measuring stick. Australia and Korea are the benchmark games. Canada and the USA are games Pakistan will be expected to win. Malaysia in Ipoh, last game of the round robin, is the one that could define the whole trip.
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