New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): The celebrations over India’s historic Asian Games title defence will soon give way to another test of the men’s hockey team’s continental credentials, with the Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 set to bring Asia’s leading sides to India from October 27 to November 5.
India became the first team to successfully defend the men’s Asian Games hockey title when they clinched a second successive gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan. With that achievement still fresh, the hosts will now look to carry the momentum into a tournament being staged on home soil in Punjab.
India, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Bangladesh will compete in the six-team tournament, with the league phase scheduled at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar before the competition moves to Mohali for its concluding matches.
“Winning the Asian Games gold in Japan was a special achievement for this group. But now the celebrations are behind us, and our focus has to shift quickly. The Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 is a new challenge, on home soil, and we need to bring the same hunger, discipline and intensity to every match as we look to build on our success,” said Craig Fulton, the Chief Coach of the Indian men’s team.
The tournament will also mark the return of international hockey to Punjab, a state that has played a central role in the development and popularity of the sport in India.
Jalandhar will host the league-stage fixtures, while the semifinals and final will be played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, bringing the tournament to a climax in the final two days.
India enter the competition with a strong record in the Asian Champions Trophy. Since the tournament was introduced in 2011, they have won the title four times, making them the most successful team in its history.
The Indian side also shared the trophy with Pakistan in 2018 after the final in Muscat, Oman, was abandoned due to rain.
With another major continental title now in sight, India will aim to turn the confidence generated by their Asian Games campaign into another successful home tournament.
