Chandigarh, Sept. 14 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday unveiled the logo of the Men's Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026, announcing that the state will host the prestigious tournament for the first time from October 27 to November 5.
Calling the championship a matter of immense pride for Punjab, Mann said the tournament would bring international hockey to the state and provide fans an opportunity to watch leading Asian teams compete on home soil.
The league stage and opening ceremony will be held at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2. The semi-finals will be played at the Olympian Balbir Singh (Senior) International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on November 4, followed by the final and closing ceremony on November 5.
India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and China will feature in the tournament. The much-awaited India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for November 1 in Jalandhar, coinciding with Punjab Day.
In a move to encourage youngsters and hockey enthusiasts, the state government has announced free entry to all matches. Mann appealed to students, athletes, hockey academies, former players and sports lovers to attend the matches in large numbers.
The chief minister said the Punjab government has sanctioned Rs 25.40 crore for the championship, including Rs 22.96 crore for upgrading the two main venues. Of this, Rs 14 crore will be spent on the Jalandhar stadium and Rs 8.96 crore on the Mohali venue.
Mann described the championship as an "emotional homecoming" of hockey to the land that has produced generations of Olympians, national champions and captains. He said Punjab had contributed more than 50 Olympic medallists and 10 national captains to Indian hockey.
He said the tournament would showcase Punjab's sporting culture and infrastructure while inspiring the younger generation to take up hockey. Schools, colleges and hockey academies will be encouraged to participate in awareness and promotional activities.
Mann said successful hosting of the tournament would strengthen Punjab's claim to host matches when India stages the Hockey World Cup in 2030.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.