Team Canada to attend the 30th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Men’s National Team returns to Malaysia for spring Competition

Field Hockey Canada is excited to announce the Men’s National Team roster bound for Ipoh, Malaysia for the 30th iteration of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Canada last attended the tournament in 2019. The iconic Malysian tournament will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a great field of teams in 2024.

The loaded field includes six teams ranked inside the top 19 in the world. Additional to the Canadian Red Caribou, the field includes Paris-bound New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Japan. The tournament format features a six team round robin followed by medal rounds. Canada’s projected schedule has them kicking off the event against the Black Sticks from New Zealand on May 4.

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The Canadian side is a blend of veteran players and new blood. This last month has been marked by some major retirements, leaving opportunities for young players to step up and take spots. Among the Team Canada debutants are goalkeeper, Kiefer McNaughton, and field players, Rowan Childs, Jyoth Sidhu, Avjor Buttar, Flynn McCulloch, and Jude Nicholson, many of which have recent junior world cup experience.

The core veterans that will continue to lead this group include Matt Sarmento, Devonh Noronha Teixeira and Balraj Panesar. And then there are the exciting emerging talents that have been to a few tours over the past year that are looking to jump off the page. Sean Davis, a pure goal scorer, and Manveer Jhamat, a stalwart defender, are two that have shown their savvy in international competition and will look to perform at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May.

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Field Hockey Canada is also excited to announce that umpire Alex Miles will be representing Canada at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Alex is fresh off his PAHF appointment at the Indoor Pan American Cup in Calgary, Alberta. Chilliwack’s Michelle McNaughton will also be representing Canada in the technical official booth as a TO. Michelle is married to Canadian goalkeeper, Kiefer McNaughton, making this a special family and community trip for the McNaughtons. Congratulations to Alex and Michelle on their appointments.

Head coach, Patrick Tshutshani said the group has been putting in lots of work on the practice pitch and has been eyeing this spring/summer block for competition. Following Azlan Shah, the team will have a short reset before heading on tour for the 2024 Nations Cup in Poland. For Tshutshani, this is an opportunity to build this new group into a force and start to build steadily towards 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic qualification.

“This is a great tournament, it is always great to get invited to Sultan Azlan Shah,” Tshutshani said. “We have an opportunity to play internationally again. These tournaments are hard to come by, so it is always a privilege and an honour to play in such tournaments. I am a big believer on process goals and consistency. Our focus for this tournament is that we continue to bring our very best to each competitive moment.”

For Tshutshani, this spring and summer tournament slate also offers a chance to build the new core of this team moving forward.

“As with any new quad, changes happen within a team. We honour and recognise those athletes that have given their all to represent Canada. I wish these athletes the very best and I know they will continue be successful,” Tshutshani said. “Moving forward, have a new core group, with new faces that are relishing at the moment of representing Canada and wanting to move the program forward. I am confident that each athlete will take this opportunity with both hands and put their best foot forward for the team.”

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