Punjab is set to host the Asian Champions Trophy for hockey for the first time. On Monday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann unveiled the tournament logo at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali’s Sector 63, in the presence of Asian Hockey Federation officials.
He stated that this international tournament, scheduled from October 27 to November 5, is a matter of pride for Punjab. League matches will be held at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, while the semi-finals and finals will be played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. Teams from India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and China will participate in the tournament, while Oman and Bangladesh will serve as reserve teams.
**India-Pakistan Clash Scheduled**
The biggest attraction will be the match between India and Pakistan, scheduled for 7 PM on November 1—Punjab Day—in Jalandhar. The Chief Minister noted that there is immense excitement surrounding this match, and both teams will take the field in the true spirit of sportsmanship. He announced that the Punjab government would spend ₹25.40 crore on organizing the tournament. Of this, ₹22.96 crore is being spent to equip both major stadiums with international-standard facilities; ₹14 crore has been allocated for the Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar and ₹8.96 crore for the Balbir Singh Senior Stadium in Mohali.
**Free Entry to Watch Matches**
A notable feature is that no tickets are required for any of the tournament matches; all games are open to spectators free of charge. The Chief Minister urged school and college students, hockey academies, players, and sports enthusiasts to attend the matches in large numbers.
Mann remarked that Punjab has produced many legendary players for Indian hockey, noting that the state has been home to over 50 Olympic medalists and 10 national team captains. Ten athletes from Punjab were part of the Indian team at the Paris Olympics 2024, with Harmanpreet Singh serving as the team’s captain.
The Chief Minister stated that the state government has allocated a sports budget of ₹1,743 crore for the current financial year. A total of 3,148 rural sports grounds are being developed, with 750 already inaugurated; additionally, there are plans to construct 6,000 modern gymnasiums.
Since 2022, cash awards totaling ₹135 crore have been distributed to over 40,000 athletes. Mann added that Punjab would strengthen its bid to host matches for the 2030 Hockey World Cup, noting that the successful hosting of the Asian Champions Trophy would play a pivotal role in this effort.
