Jalandhar, Oct. 27 -- Punjab is all set to witness the return of international hockey after a 17-year hiatus, with the 9th edition of Men's Asian Hockey Champions Trophy getting underway at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on Tuesday.

The last major international tournament witnessed by the hockey of the region was the invitational Punjab Gold Cup in 2009, though it was held in Chandigarh. The upcoming tournament will mark the first International Hockey Federation tournament hosted by Punjab.

The tournament will be played in two legs, with Jalandhar hosting the league stages and the opening ceremony, before the action moves to Mohali for the semi-finals, finals and classification matches. Six teams-India, Malaysia, Chin...