Pakistan to Play in Asian Champions Trophy Hockey in Punjab, Confirms Chief Minister Mann
Pakistan will be among the six teams competing in next month's Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Monday. He cited the Union government's policy that allows the two countries to play on Indian soil during multi-lateral engagements.
The tournament will be held from October 27 to November 5 and will feature India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia and Korea. Matches will be played at the hockey stadiums in Jalandhar and Mohali. Two reserve teams, Oman and Bangladesh, have also been named in case of pullouts.
The competition is held under the aegis of the Asian Hockey Federation. It is an annual event, but was not held last year. India enter as defending champions, having won the title in 2023 in Chennai and in 2024 in Hulunbuir, China.
Asked about Pakistan's participation and whether the required clearances had been obtained, Mr. Mann said multi-lateral events do not pose a problem. "There is no problem in multi-national tournaments. Maybe individual series (between India and Pakistan) cannot take place," he said.
The central sports policy regarding Pakistan bars bilateral engagement with the country. India launched a brief military offensive against Pakistan last year after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.
However, in keeping with the Olympic Charter, the Sports Ministry has stated that the two countries may compete against each other in multi-lateral events, and that India would not stop athletes from across the border from playing here in such engagements.
Despite this position, Pakistan withdrew from the Junior World Cup of hockey in Tamil Nadu last year, citing high tensions between the two countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
Mr. Mann said the league stage matches of the Asian Champions Trophy will be played in Jalandhar, while the semi-finals and the final will be held at the Mohali stadium. Assuring full support for hosting the event, he said Punjab is committed to ensuring the successful organisation of the first tournament of this scale in the state's history.
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, who was also present at Monday's event, said relations between the hockey federations of India and Pakistan are "excellent".
"I want to say this on record that we share very good relations between the hockey federations of India and Pakistan," he said. "You must have noticed that whenever I go, if the Indian team defeats Pakistan, I meet the Pakistani team first. The boys there also show immense respect."
The Asian Champions Trophy will begin in Jalandhar on October 27, with the final scheduled in Mohali on November 5.
