The Hockey Museum (THM) recently had the privilege of contributing to the creation of a film for The Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery in Malaysia. The Gallery provides insights into the Perak Royal Family and celebrates the life of His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah (1928-2014) as well as the State of Perak’s rich cultural heritage. The film will feature in a hockey exhibition celebrating Sultan Azlan Shah’s extensive contributions to hockey in Malaysia. The photographs THM has contributed depict the third Hockey Men’s World Cup, which was held in Malaysia 50 years ago in 1975.

Earlier this year, the news website Free Malaysia Today ran a series of articles reflecting on the Malaysia team’s World Cup campaign, which dovetails nicely with THM’s reflections on the same 1975 tournament from the English perspective.

A gripping Malaysian sports fairytale | FMT [external link]

Hat-tricks, hospitality and honour: recalling the 1975 men’s Hockey World Cup – The Hockey Museum

One of the photographs requested to feature in film being commissioned for the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery.
Photograph of the opening ceremony of the 1975 Hockey Men’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, from the collection of England player Brian Purdy, held at The Hockey Museum.

Who was Sultan Azlan Shah?

Azlan Shah was known as the ‘Father of Malaysian Hockey’ due to his considerable contributions to the sport. He was the Organising Chairman of the 1975 World Cup and spoke at both the opening and closing ceremonies. He was President of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation between 1976-2004, served on the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Executive Board and was the elected President of the Asian Hockey Federation from 1997 until his death.

Azlan Shah fell in love with hockey at school in Malaysia and later went to university in England, graduating in 1953 with a law degree from the University of Nottingham. During this period, he played representative hockey for the Nottinghamshire County team! He also played for the Perak State hockey team in his homeland.

Azlan Shah’s legacy continues to this day. He has a prestigious FIH award named in his honour and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup also carries his name – an annual (originally bi-annual) invitational men’s international hockey tournament that he founded in 1983. Australia won the inaugural tournament and have been crowned winners the most times with 10 victories. Perhaps not unexpectedly given the hot climate, Oceanic and Asian teams have won a combined 25 of 30 titles. The 2025 tournament takes place in Ipoh, Malaysia, at the end of November.

THM is pleased to have supported another museum with our small contribution to what we suspect will be quite a lengthy film!

First Day Cover and two stamps commemorating the third Hockey Men’s World Cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1975.
From the collection of The Hockey Museum.