Kuala Lumpur : The ‘Father’ of Malaysian hockey Sultan Azlan Shah passed away in the Malaysian city of Ipoh Wednesday. He was 86.
Azlan Shah was the 34th ruler of the state of Perak and was a die-hard hockey lover. He started playing hockey during his school days and was also a former president of Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).
Azlan Shah was feared by his opponents for his speed as well as his dribbling skills during his playing days as a centre-forward for the Perak Malays and Perak State teams. The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is also named after him.
As a sports administrator, Azlan Shah saw Malaysia host the World Cup in 1975 where the hosts finished an all time high of fourth in the 1975 edition. He also helped Malaysia get the 2002 World Cup.
In 1997, Azlan Shah was elected as the president of the Asian Hockey Federation and remained till his death.
Azlan Shah was also elected as the vice president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1992.