Punjab gears up for 2026 Asian Champions Trophy, featuring India, Malaysia, Korea and others

The Asian Hockey Federation has confirmed that the 2026 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy will be hosted in Punjab from October 27 to November 5. The tournament will be played across two venues: the Olympic Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar and the Olympic Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.

Six national teams – India, Malaysia, South Korea, China, Japan and Bangladesh – will face each other once in the league stage. The top four teams will move on to the semi‑finals, with the knock‑out matches set for November 4‑5 in Mohali.

India enters the competition as the defending champion, having lifted the trophy in 2011, 2016, the joint win in 2018, as well as in 2023 and 2024. The opening ceremony on October 27 will kick off with a match against Bangladesh in Jalandhar.

Punjab’s selection as the host state is a nod to its rich hockey heritage. From the village hubs of Sansarpur and Mithaipur that produced generations of talent, to modern training facilities, the region has consistently fed the national team with world‑class players.