Pakistan Confirms Participation in India-Hosted Asian Champions Trophy

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced that Pakistan will be participating in the upcoming Men’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament hosted in India. The event, set to take place from October 27 to November 5, will feature six teams: India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea. Punjab Chief Minister Mann stated that India allows Pakistan to participate in multilateral sporting events, though bilateral series between the two nations remain restricted.

Mann emphasized that there is no issue with multinational tournaments, while individual India-Pakistan matches are not feasible. The Asian Champions Trophy will be held in two locations: Jalandhar and Mohali. League matches will be played in Jalandhar, with the semifinals and final taking place in Mohali. Oman and Bangladesh have been designated as reserve teams for unforeseen withdrawals.

The tournament, organized by the Asian Hockey Federation, is an annual fixture, although it was absent last year. India, the defending champions from the 2023 and 2024 editions, will compete in the tournament as they are not permitted to play bilateral matches with Pakistan due to ongoing tensions. Despite this, India and Pakistan can still compete in multilateral events under the Olympic Charter.

Punjab Chief Minister Mann pledged full support for organizing the Asian Champions Trophy in the state for the very first time. Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh echoed the positive relations between the hockey federations of India and Pakistan, stating that relations between the two federations are excellent. The tournament commences in Jalandhar on October 27 and the final will be held in Mohali on November 5.