Pakistan’s silver medal-winning hockey team from the 2024 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup has been left out of this year’s tournament despite its strong performance in the previous edition.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has also confirmed that it has not received an invitation from the organisers.

Last year, Pakistan played in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and secured the silver medal, earning widespread recognition at the government level.

However, the 2025 edition of the tournament, set to take place from November 22 to 29 in Ipoh, Malaysia, does not include Pakistan among the invited teams, as per the FIH’s official schedule.

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Pakistan, Japan both excluded

According to PHF sources, the tournament’s organisers have not extended an invitation to Pakistan, a surprising move given the team’s runner-up finish last year.

Even more unexpectedly, Japan, the gold medalist and defending champion, has also been excluded from this year’s event.

The 2025 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will feature teams from Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, and the host nation, Malaysia.

Pakistan’s strong 2024 campaign

In the 2024 edition, Japan won the final 4-1 on penalty shootouts, securing its first-ever Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title.

Pakistan, however, had an impressive run, remaining undefeated before the final, winning three matches and drawing two in the group stage.

The national team had also secured the bronze medal in the previous edition of the tournament.