India meet Kiwis in Azlan Shah opener

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27
India will meet New Zealand in their first match in the 21st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament, to be held at Ipoh (Malaysia), from May 24 to June 3. The outing will be a fine opportunity for India to test their ware before the London Olympics.

Besides India, the other teams in the fray are Britain, Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Argentina and hosts Malaysia. The tournament will be played on a round-robin league format, culminating in positional playoffs on the last day.India will open their campaign against New Zealand on May 24, followed by matches against Korea, Britain, Malaysia, Argentina and Pakistan.

India have won the title five times – in 1985, 1991, 1995, 2009 and 2010.