IPOH – New Zealand are confident that they can adapt to Malaysia’s tropical climate as they hunt for success at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Under the guidance of Greg Nicol, the world’s number 10 side will be facing Canada in their opening clash at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh today.
New Zealand, known as the “Black Sticks” by their fans, have made 14 appearances in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and won the tournament twice (2012 and 2015) since its inception in 1983.
The team arrived for the invitational tournament on April 28 from Auckland and were defeated 3-2 in a warm-up match against defending champions Malaysia.
Nicol commended the quality of the Azlan Shah Stadium and hoped the venue would bring good luck to his team in this year’s edition.
“When we departed from our country, the temperature was cold, so my players really enjoyed playing in the warm climate in this country.
“Our players have managed to mimic the Malaysian circumstances in New Zealand, so we are confident of adapting and performing at this tournament. Besides, we have also played in this tournament many times so we know what to expect.
“We may have lost our friendly match against Malaysia but we are not disappointed with the defeat as our young team is learning and growing. The venue looks fantastic as always, and we hope to clinch the title again after 11 years,” said Nicol during a press conference at the M Roof Hotel in Ipoh.
At the same time, Nicol also said the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup would be the ideal platform for him to monitor and select the right players ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The Black Sticks qualified for Paris after securing a thrilling 3-2 victory over Pakistan for the bronze medal in the qualifying tournament in Oman.
According to Nicol, New Zealand have a squad of 28 to 30 players who could potentially be picked for the Paris Olympics.
“There are quite a number of changes to the squad for this tournament after the Olympic qualifying round.
“We have several players currently playing club hockey in Europe (Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands), and we will use this tournament as an opportunity to give other players a chance to put their best foot forward and perhaps get selected for the Olympics.
“Even without all our senior players here, we want to develop a winning habit. If we are going to the Olympic Games, we must have that winning mentality. Coming to a tournament like this, the players must raise their game and have that winning habit.
The Black Sticks will take a 10-day break after the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup before preparing for their next engagement – the Nations Cup in Poland from May 31 to June 9.
Nicol added that Hockey New Zealand would announce the squad of 18 players for the Paris Olympics three days after the Nations Cup. – May 4, 2024