KUALA LUMPUR – Germany will not be here for a holiday when they participate in this year’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (SAS), as they will be assembling a strong squad for the tournament.
Making their comeback in the prestigious event after more than two decades, the world number four side will be vying for the title to add to their illustrious trophy cabinet.
The Germans will be competing against host Malaysia (world number 13), Belgium (world number two), India (world number five), Ireland (world number 10), and Canada (world number 21).
It is understood that they will be fielding a mix of senior and junior players from both their FIH World Cup and FIH Junior World Cup teams.
Speaking to Scoop from Hamburg, Germany’s national hockey head coach, André Henning, said that the reason behind his team’s participation is due to the lack of domestic tournaments in Europe, as well as the need to prepare his side for next year’s World Cup.
“We have not been playing much hockey over the past year due to the lack of domestic competitions, and we have only been playing in the FIH Pro League. We also need to give a lot of exposure to young players who were part of the Junior World Cup, and participating in the SAS is a good opportunity for them, as our team will be playing against formidable opponents.
“At the same time, we also feel that this tournament will serve as a warm-up and will be a great way for us to kick-start our pre-campaign for the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in both Belgium and the Netherlands.
“I was also told by the German Hockey Federation that it has been a while since we won the SAS, and we want to add the trophy to our illustrious cabinet. I am currently analysing 30 players for the tournament, and I will decide who we will bring on board for the tournament by August or September this year,” said Henning when contacted.
Among the players who may potentially be included in Henning’s team are Michel Struthoff and Hugo von Montgelas, who played a key role in Germany’s championship-winning side in the 2023 Junior World Cup, where they defeated France 2-1 to lift the title in Kuala Lumpur.
Christopher Rühr and Martin Zwicker, who were part of the 2023 World Cup championship-winning side in Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, where they defeated Belgium 5-4 (penalty shootout) in the final, are among the other players likely to be included in Henning’s squad.
Germany, who won the SAS Cup in 1987 and 2001, last played in the tournament in 2004, while five-time winners India last featured in the SAS in 2019.
Belgium, who won the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold, last played in the SAS Cup in 2008.
The 31st edition of SAS is expected to take place in November this year. – March 17, 2025