Entire Govt Machinery Will Put In Its Full Strength To Make Champions Trophy Grand Success: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann
Punjab E News (Pawan Dhupar): Punjab is set to script history by hosting the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 for the first time, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today releasing the tournament logo in the presence of Asian Hockey Federation officials. Declaring the prestigious championship as a matter of immense pride for Punjab, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the tournament will bring international hockey to the state from October 27 to November 5, with league matches in Jalandhar and the semi-finals and final in Mohali.
The tournament will feature six leading hockey nations, including India and Pakistan, with the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash scheduled for November 1, Punjab Day, at 7 PM in Jalandhar. The Chief Minister said the Punjab Government has committed ₹25.40 crore for the successful organisation of the championship and that the entire government machinery will put its full strength behind making it a grand success. In a major move to bring youngsters and hockey lovers closer to the sport, entry to all matches will be completely free.
Taking to X, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated: “It is a matter of immense pride for us that, for the first time, Punjab is going to host an international hockey tournament, the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026. The prestigious tournament will be held from October 27 to November 5, with the league matches taking place in Jalandhar and the semi-finals and final in Mohali. Six leading countries, including India and Pakistan, will participate in the tournament. On November 1, Punjab Day, at 7 PM, Jalandhar will witness the historic mega clash between India and Pakistan. To connect our youth with sports and sporting grounds, our government has kept entry to all matches completely free. Come in large numbers and cheer for the players. Inquilab Zindabad.”
Interacting with the media here today, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The historic Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 is not merely a hockey tournament for Punjab. It is an emotional homecoming of the sport to the land that has nurtured generations of Indian hockey heroes. For the first time, Punjab is hosting an international hockey tournament of this stature on its own soil.”
The Chief Minister stated, “The Punjab Government is determined to make it an unforgettable sporting spectacle for players, spectators and hockey lovers across India and the world.” He said Punjab is synonymous with hockey and “the game and Punjabis are two sides of the same coin.”
He said, “From Sansarpur, Khusropur and Mithapur to hundreds of villages across the state, the soil of Punjab has produced Olympians, national champions and captains.”
“These legends have carried the Indian tricolour with pride on the world’s biggest sporting stages. The contribution of Punjab to Indian hockey is not just a matter of statistics; it is an inseparable part of our identity,” said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.
He said that Punjab has produced more than 50 Olympic medallists and 10 national captains, including legends like Olympian Balbir Singh Sr., Udham Singh and Ajit Pal Singh, who have inspired generations. “Even today, this tradition continues. During the Paris 2024 Olympics, Punjab had 10 players representing India, with Harmanpreet Singh leading the national side,” he said.
“Therefore, when Punjab hosts the Asian Champions Trophy, it will not be just another tournament on the international calendar. It will be a celebration in the heartland of Indian hockey on world-class venues with world-class preparations,” noted the Chief Minister.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The Punjab Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the players and teams arriving in Punjab receive the best facilities for this international championship.” He said that the state government has sanctioned a total budget of ₹25.40 crore for the tournament, out of which ₹22.96 crore is being spent on upgrading the two principal venues.
The Chief Minister highlighted, “₹14 crore is being spent for the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar and ₹8.96 crore for the Olympian Balbir Singh (Senior) International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.”
“These are not merely infrastructure projects but an investment in Punjab’s sporting future,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Jalandhar will host the opening ceremony and league stage, while Mohali will host the decisive semi-finals and final. “The objective of the state government is clear: every visiting player should feel that Punjab has provided them with facilities of international standard, and every spectator should feel proud of the experience,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the participation of Pakistan will make the championship even more significant. “India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and China will compete among Asia’s best hockey-playing nations, while Oman and Bangladesh will remain the reserve teams,” he said.
He said that the participation of Pakistan adds an enormous sporting dimension to the championship and will naturally attract hockey lovers from across the region and the country. “The India-Pakistan encounter on November 1 in Jalandhar will be one of the biggest attractions of the tournament. The match will coincide with Punjab Day, making the occasion even more special for the people of Punjab. India and Pakistan may have their rivalries on the hockey field, but sport has its own language,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said.
The Chief Minister stated that the hockey federations on both sides have maintained cordial sporting relations. “The state government wants the tournament to reflect the true spirit of competition—intense on the field but respectful beyond it,” he said.
“For hockey lovers, the India-Pakistan match is not about hatred. It is about the passion of hockey, the roar of the spectators and the beauty of sport,” said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.
The Chief Minister said that “this tournament is for every Punjabi” and announced that entry to all matches will be completely free. “A young student, an aspiring hockey player or an ordinary sports lover should not be deprived of watching international stars simply because they cannot afford a ticket,” he said.
“Punjab’s people have given hockey its heart, so when international hockey returns to Punjab, the people must be able to watch it without any financial barrier,” Bhagwant Singh Mann said.
He appealed to NRIs (Non Residents Indians), school and college students, young athletes, hockey academies, sports associations, former players and media persons to come to Jalandhar and Mohali in large numbers. “Bring your families and children with the same enthusiasm with which Punjabis have always celebrated this sport,” he said.
The Chief Minister said, “These stadiums should echo with the sound of Punjab and children should watch international hockey stars from close quarters and dream of becoming the next Harmanpreet Singh, Balbir Singh Sr., Udham Singh and others.”
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government will undertake a major drive across Punjab to transform the tournament into a people’s festival.
The Chief Minister said that schools and colleges will be encouraged to participate in awareness and promotional activities. “The hockey academies and grassroots sports centres will be connected with the tournament. Young players will be encouraged to attend matches and interact with the sporting environment,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The message is loud and clear that international hockey is coming to Punjab. The state will not watch it sitting at home but people will turn up at the stadium.”
The Chief Minister said that the opening ceremony and league stage will be held from October 27 to November 2 at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar.
He said that the much-awaited India-Pakistan match will take place on November 1, coinciding with Punjab Day.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the tournament will then move to the Olympian Balbir Singh (Senior) International Hockey Stadium, Mohali, where the semi-finals will be played on November 4.
He said that the championship will culminate in the grand final and closing ceremony on November 5 in Mohali. “The schedule gives Punjab the opportunity to showcase two of its most important hockey centres—Jalandhar, the industrial and sporting heartland of Doaba, and Mohali, the modern sporting hub of Punjab,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the hosting of the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy is part of a much larger vision. “Punjab’s sporting revolution will continue. Hosting the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy is part of a much larger vision,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that his government has allocated a historic ₹1,743 crore sports budget for the current financial year and is developing 3,148 rural sports grounds, of which 750 have already been inaugurated, along with 6,000 modern gymnasiums, with 500 already operational.
He said that the state government has also strengthened direct financial support for athletes. “Players preparing for the Olympics receive assistance of ₹15 lakh, while athletes preparing for the Asian and Commonwealth Games receive ₹8 lakh,” said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.
The Chief Minister pointed out that since 2022, more than 40,000 players have received cash awards worth ₹135 crore. “Our government’s policy for Olympic medal winners is equally clear. “₹3 crore is given for a gold medal winner, ₹2 crore for silver and ₹1 crore for bronze,” he said.
“Our government is committed to respect the athlete, support the athlete during the preparation and honour the athlete after victory,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab wants to bring hockey back to the people. “The national game cannot survive only in stadiums. It must live in villages, schools, academies and playgrounds. Our government wants every child to believe that sport is a viable career and that talent will not be stopped by poverty or lack of opportunity. The Asian Champions Trophy will therefore be used as an opportunity to ignite a fresh sporting movement across Punjab,” he added.
The Chief Minister assured that visiting teams will experience Punjabi hospitality at its finest. “The world will see what Punjab has always been: a land where hockey is not merely played but where it is lived,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that India will host the Hockey World Cup in 2030 and Punjab will certainly stake its claim to host matches of that prestigious tournament as well. “Successful organisation of the Asian Champions Trophy will strengthen that case. Our government is preparing not just two stadiums, but a message for the sporting world. Punjab is ready to welcome. We have the infrastructure, the talent, the passion and the sporting culture to host the biggest international events,” he said.
The Chief Minister said, “The Asian Champions Trophy 2026 will be a celebration of hockey, a celebration of Punjab and a celebration of the spirit of India.”
The Chief Minister invited every Punjabi, every Indian and every hockey lover to be part of this historic occasion and make Punjab the Hockey Capital of Asia from October 27 to November 5. “Our government is committed to making this event a huge success and no stone will be left unturned for it. Sticks will clash, goals will roar and the tricolour will fly high in this mega sporting extravaganza.”
On the occasion, Hockey India’s Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, Director General Cdr RK Srivastava, Executive Board Member RP Singh, Hockey Punjab President Nitin Kohli and others were also present.
