Malaysia Set For Inaugural Para Hockey ID World Cup

IPOH (Perak, Malaysia), Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will be represented by a 10-member team at the inaugural FIH Para Hockey ID World Cup 2026, to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands from Aug 20 to 25.

The Malaysian team’s assistant head of delegation, Shanker Retinam, said the team of six men and four women had been selected for the mixed-gender tournament based on their performance, commitment to training and discipline.

“The player selection process began in December 2025, while the selected players have been undergoing monthly centralised training in Ipoh in preparation for the World Cup.

“The tournament will bring together the 16 best teams in the world and serve as a platform to showcase the capabilities of Malaysian athletes in para hockey in the intellectual disability category at the international level,” he said in a statement issued by the Perak Special Olympics Association on Wednesday.

Shanker said what made the tournament even more special was that it would be held alongside the Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cups at the same venues in Belgium and the Netherlands.

He said the national team was scheduled to depart for Europe on Aug 17.
Shanker said the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, would officiate at the flag-handover ceremony at the Royal Perak Golf Club.

Malaysia are in Pool B alongside the Netherlands, Argentina, England, Spain, India, Chile and Bulgaria.

They will play their opening match against Bulgaria in the Netherlands.

-- BERNAMA