Chandigarh, Sept. 21 -- The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has invited Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and a state government delegation to Japan to witness the hockey semi-finals and finals of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
The invitation, extended by AHF President Fumio Ogura, covers the women's and men's semi-finals on September 30 and October 1, followed by the finals on October 2 and 3.
The AHF said the visit would provide the Punjab delegation first-hand exposure to the organisation and conduct of a major international sporting event. The experience is expected to help the state prepare for the Men's Asian Champions Trophy 2026, which Punjab will host for the first time from October 27 to November 5.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by Jalandhar and Mohali. Jalandhar will stage the opening ceremony and league matches, while Mohali will host the semi-finals and final.
India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, China and other teams are expected to compete in the tournament. Mann has described the event as an emotional homecoming of hockey to Punjab, which has produced generations of Indian hockey players.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.