New Delhi, 09 October (H.S.): The Asian Hockey Federation on Friday announced the match schedule for the Men’s Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, with the league stage set to take place in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2, followed by the semi-finals and medal matches in Mohali on November 4 and 5.

The tournament will be played at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar and the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. The opening ceremony is scheduled for October 27, immediately after which India will launch its campaign against Bangladesh.

The tournament will feature six teams: India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh. All six sides will compete against one another in a single round-robin league phase, with each team playing five matches. The top four teams in the standings will advance to the semi-finals.

India will play all its league-stage matches at 7 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). The defending champions will face Bangladesh on October 27, China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2.

The tournament will observe rest days on October 28, October 31 and November 3. The semi-finals will be held on November 4, while the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches are scheduled for November 5.

India is the most successful team in the history of the competition. The Indian men’s hockey team has won the title in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024. India shared the championship with Pakistan in 2018.

The five-time champions return to the tournament after recently securing their second consecutive gold medal in men’s hockey at the Asian Games in Japan. Entering the competition as the highest-ranked team, India will look to capitalise on home advantage and add another title to its impressive record.

Punjab, widely regarded as a nursery of Indian hockey, has produced several legendary players who have made significant contributions to the sport. The return of international hockey to the state is expected to give local fans an opportunity to witness top-level competition on home soil.

Hockey India president Dr Dilip Tirkey welcomed the announcement of the schedule, expressing confidence that anticipation for the tournament would continue to build.

“The announcement of the match schedule has further heightened the excitement surrounding the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026. We are delighted to welcome teams from across Asia to Punjab and look forward to witnessing high-quality hockey,” Tirkey said.

Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said the announcement marked the beginning of the tournament’s countdown.

“With the schedule now announced, the countdown to the tournament has begun. Hockey India is proud to host the participating nations and showcase Punjab’s passion for the sport and its renowned hospitality. We look forward to an exciting and competitive tournament that will bring fans closer to the game and provide every team with an opportunity to perform at the highest level,” he said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar