Hockey's prestigious Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is scheduled for next month where Pakistan will play five matches in the group stage of the tournament. This will be the 30th edition of the event which takes place annually in Malaysia, the hosts won the competition for the first time in 2022 and will defend their title this year. The tournament will comprise six teams where the likes of New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, and hosts Malaysia will lock horns to win the coveted title. Pakistan will face the hosts Malaysia in the opening game of the tournament on May 4, following this game they face a daunting task against South Korea on May 5 and Japan on May 7. Canada and New Zealand will also participate in the tournament, they will face Pakistan on May 8 and May 10 respectively. The Kiwis are the only team in the tournament that will appear in the Paris Olympics 2024. The top two teams will play in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Tournament while the third and fourth-placed teams will compet e for the third place. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams will fight for fifth place which means that all the teams will get their prize money irrespective of where they finish in the tournament. Pakistan has won the Azlan Shah Cup three times in their history in 1999, 2000 and 2003, however their best performance in the last 20 years came in 2011 when they finished runners against Australia following a 3-2 defeat in extra time. Match Date Pakistan vs Malaysia May 4 Pakistan vs South Korea May 5 Pakistan vs Japan May 7 Pakistan vs Canada May 8 Pakistan vs New Zealand May 10 Source: Pro Pakistani