New Delhi, Oct. 28 -- Punjab hosted the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 for the first time on October 27, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann inaugurating the tournament at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar. Mann said the event fulfilled a long-standing aspiration of Punjab's hockey players to compete on home ground and would help the state demonstrate its readiness to host the 2030 Hockey World Cup.

The championship brings together teams from six countries. Mann welcomed players from Bangladesh, China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia, along with Olympians, former players, representatives of Hockey India and the International Hockey Federation, and sports enthusiasts. He also honoured the captains of all six par...