Chandigarh, May 21: Punjab is gearing up to host the Men’s Asian Hockey Championship Trophy for the first time. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann held a meeting with officials from the Hockey Federation of India on Thursday to review the preparations.
CM Mann shared the news on social media platform X, stating, “Today, I had an important meeting with officials from the Indian Hockey Federation to assess the preparations for the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Punjab.”
He emphasized, “Punjab has always been a nursery for hockey. Hosting such an international tournament on our soil will inspire our youth to engage more with sports. The ‘Aam Aadmi Party’ government is fully committed to making grand arrangements, ensuring security, and providing every possible facility for the players. Let us all work together to once again build a ‘Vibrant Punjab’ in the field of sports.”
The Asian Hockey Championship Trophy 2026 will take place between October and November in Mohali and Jalandhar, featuring six Asian teams. The aim of hosting this tournament in Punjab is to promote international hockey in the state and modernize its infrastructure. This event symbolizes the return of a major international hockey tournament to Punjab after nearly two decades.
The Punjab government has allocated a historic ₹1,791 crore for sports in the 2026-27 budget to enhance the sports culture and modernize infrastructure in the state. Previously, the budget was ₹350 crore. The number of coaches has increased from 500 to 2,458, with 48 elite players being employed as coaches.
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