India’s players celebrate a goal during the men’s Hockey final’s gold medal match between Malaysia and India in the ongoing 20th Asian Games, in Gifu, Japan.
India, the reigning Asian Games champions, are the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having won the title five times in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners), 2023 and 2024.
International hockey will return to Punjab after 17 years when India host the men’s Asian Champions Trophy for the second time, with Jalandhar and Mohali set to stage the tournament from October 27 to November 2. The last international hockey tournament held in the state was the 2009 Punjab Gold Cup.
The Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium at Burlton Park in Jalandhar will host the opening ceremony and league-stage matches from October 27 to November 2. The stadium is named after Surjit Singh, the celebrated defender who was part of India’s 1975 World Cup-winning team.
India captain Harmanpreet, who led the team to gold medals at two successive Asian Games, said the tournament would be special for the players from Punjab, who will get the opportunity to represent the country on home soil. “It’s going to be a special occasion for the entire team, especially for the players who belong to Punjab because it’s the first time that we will be wearing India jersey at an international tournament in Punjab,” Harmanpreet Singh, the first captain to lead India to successive Asian Games gold medal triumphs, said in a Hockey India release. All six teams will face each other once in the league stage, with the top four advancing to the semifinals.