JALANDHAR (TIP): India is set to complete a hat-trick of the Asian Champions Trophy titles as international hockey returns to Punjab; India has set sights on sixth Hero Asian Champions Trophy title
Another title win will complete a hat-trick of Asian Champions Trophy triumphs for defending champions India, who will open their campaign against Bangladesh on October 27 in Jalandhar
When critics, writers and sports journalists describe holding of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament for men at Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5, as return of big hockey to this border State, many may be getting confused.
For them, hockey has become an integral part of Punjabi lifestyle for more than hundred years. It was the British who brought hockey to India and chose some of the Cantonments, including Jalandhar, Bhopal, Meerut, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and famous Jhansi to sow the seed of a game in the early 20th century.
Till then, the game was played in some tribal areas of northeast and even parts of north India as an indigenous sport with specially chiseled wooden stems with a ball made from waste pieces of cloth held together by rubber bands. It was called “khudo-kundi” with “khudo” standing for the ball and “Kunda” or “Kundi” for the stick.
Even when India lost its supremacy in world hockey after the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, hockey never lost its popularity base in areas around major cantonments.
It is why all major hockey tournaments of the country – Beighton Cup, Aga Khan Cup, Gold Cup, Murugappa Cup – are continuing to be hosted by Cantonments of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
Also, all major Cantonments continue to serve as homes of major hockey teams of the country. And Jalandhar in Punjab figures prominently in the list.
Teams like Punjab Police, Border Security Force, EME, ASC, Corps of Signals, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank and few others have long been associated with Jalandhar, the permanent home of hockey.
Jalandhar also continues to host one of the prestigious international invitation hockey tournaments in memory of its star Olympian son, Surjit Singh. It is only the second tournament after famous Jawahar Lal Nehru Hockey Tournament in New Delhi that normally gets teams from overseas.
And no one underwrites Punjab for its immense contribution to Indian hockey in general and world hockey in particular.
So now you can judge for yourself the justification of the statement that the international hockey is returning to Punjab as red-hot India prepare to defend its title at the men’s Hero Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) 2026, which begins in Jalandhar on October 27. India will be joined by Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Bangladesh in the six-team continental tournament.
With the showpiece being held in Punjab, the Indian team will have the opportunity to play before supporters in a state that has contributed generations of players to Indian hockey.
The hosts enter the tournament after successfully defending their Asian Games gold medal in Japan. The Craig Fulton-coached team will look to carry that momentum into the continental tournament and add to their record haul of ACT titles.
The Indian team will be led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, who guided the side to consecutive Asian Games gold medals for the first time.
India have won the Asian Champions Trophy five times – in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners with Pakistan), 2023 and 2024. Their most recent triumph came in Hulunbuir, China, where Jugraj Singh scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over the hosts in the final. India will now look to make it three consecutive titles, having also won the competition in Chennai in 2023 – when the men’s Asian Champions Trophy was held in India for the first time.
India suffered a setback before the start of the tournament when former captain and star playmaker Manpreet Singh was ruled out due to a calf injury. He has been replaced by fellow midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad.
“Every team is here to compete and win the tournament. All the teams are strong, and we do not want to take any opponent lightly. Everyone has come here to give their best,” said India captain Harmanpreet.
“We have gained a lot of experience and matured as a team. We will approach every match with the same mindset and give every opponent the respect they deserve.”
Malaysia have arrived in Punjab after finishing as runners-up to India at the Asian Games. The Malaysians will be among the teams looking to challenge the hosts, and their league-stage meeting with India is scheduled for November 1. South Korea, a regular contender in Asian hockey, will also look to make a strong impression after finishing fourth at the Asian Games.
Two-time runners-up Japan finished fifth at the Asian Games and will want to make a positive impression in this tournament. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will open their ACT campaign against India and hope to add to their learnings from their meeting at the Asian Games.
The 2026 event is the ninth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. The six participating teams will compete in a single round-robin format, with each team playing the other five sides once. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the semi-finals.
All league-stage matches will be played at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2. The tournament will then move to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, which will host the semi-finals on November 4, followed by the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches on November 5.
India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on October 27, before facing China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2. Except for the opener against Bangladesh, all of India’s league matches are scheduled to begin at 1900 IST. The match against Bangladesh will begin at 1920 IST, with a glittering opening ceremony scheduled before the game.
Traditional Punjab dance forms Bhangra and Gidha will be showcased during the opening ceremony that will also include performances by exponents of Gatka — the Sikh martial art. One of the primary attractions will be a musical performance, including a laser show. Hockey India has already announced free entry for spectators at both the venues of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026.
The tournament holds special significance for Punjab, which is widely regarded as one of the traditional centers of Indian hockey. The state has produced generations of players who have represented the country at the highest level, with Jalandhar especially closely associated with the sport.
For India, the immediate priority will be to finish the home season on a high with another successful title triumph.
(Prabhjot Singh is a senior Toronto-based, award-winning independentjournalist, who worked with The Tribune, Reuters, and several media groupsin a career spanning nearly five decades. He has written extensively aboutDiaspora, Politics, Business, Aviation, Health, Public and Private Sectors andSports. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)
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