Punjab News Daily

Chandigarh, September 14

Punjab is set to script history by hosting the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 for the first time, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today releasing the tournament logo in the presence of Asian Hockey Federation officials. Declaring the prestigious championship as a matter of immense pride for Punjab, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the tournament will bring international hockey to the state from October 27 to November 5, with league matches in Jalandhar and the semi-finals and final in Mohali.

The tournament will feature six leading hockey nations, including India and Pakistan, with the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash scheduled for November 1, Punjab Day, at 7 PM in Jalandhar. The Chief Minister said the Punjab Government has committed ₹25.40 crore for the successful organisation of the championship and that the entire government machinery will put its full strength behind making it a grand success. In a major move to bring youngsters and hockey lovers closer to the sport, entry to all matches will be completely free.

Taking to X, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated: “It is a matter of immense pride for us that, for the first time, Punjab is going to host an international hockey tournament, the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026. The prestigious tournament will be held from October 27 to November 5, with the league matches taking place in Jalandhar and the semi-finals and final in Mohali. Six leading countries, including India and Pakistan, will participate in the tournament. On November 1, Punjab Day, at 7 PM, Jalandhar will witness the historic mega clash between India and Pakistan. To connect our youth with sports and sporting grounds, our government has kept entry to all matches completely free. Come in large numbers and cheer for the players. Inquilab Zindabad.”

Interacting with the media here today, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The historic Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 is not merely a hockey tournament for Punjab. It is an emotional homecoming of the sport to the land that has nurtured generations of Indian hockey heroes. For the first time, Punjab is hosting an international hockey tournament of this stature on its own soil.”

The Chief Minister stated, “The Punjab Government is determined to make it an unforgettable sporting spectacle for players, spectators and hockey lovers across India and the world.” He said Punjab is synonymous with hockey and “the game and Punjabis are two sides of the same coin.”

He said, “From Sansarpur, Khusropur and Mithapur to hundreds of villages across the state, the soil of Punjab has produced Olympians, national champions and captains.”

“These legends have carried the Indian tricolour with pride on the world’s biggest sporting stages. The contribution of Punjab to Indian hockey is not just a matter of statistics; it is an inseparable part of our identity,” said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.

He said that Punjab has produced more than 50 Olympic medallists and 10 national captains, including legends like Olympian Balbir Singh Sr., Udham Singh and Ajit Pal Singh, who have inspired generations. “Even today, this tradition continues. During the Paris 2024 Olympics, Punjab had 10 players representing India, with Harmanpreet Singh leading the national side,” he said.