The Pakistani team will be visiting India for a hockey tournament next month. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann spoke about Pakistan's participation in the tournament, which will be hosted by Punjab.
Pakistan team will come to India.
The Pakistan team will tour India next month. Following the release of the schedule, the team's visit to India has been confirmed. On Monday (September 14), Hockey India made a major announcement regarding the 2026 Men's Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held between October 27 and November 5. The Indian Hockey Board cited Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's announcement regarding the tournament, which will be hosted by Punjab.
The post read, "Hon'ble Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann officially announced the dates of the AHF Men's Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Mohali on Monday. The tournament will be held in Mohali and Jalandhar from October 27 to November 5. Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, Director General Commander RK Srivastava, Executive Board Member Mr RP Singh and Hockey Punjab President Mr Nitin Kohli were also present on the occasion.
It was further announced which cities would host the tournament matches. Mohali and Jalandhar were selected as the two cities to host the tournament. The opening ceremony and league stage matches will be held in Jalandhar, while the semi-finals and final will be held in Mohali. Teams from India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia will participate in the tournament.
What did Bhagwant Mann say on Pakistan's participation in the tournament?
When asked about Pakistan's participation in the hockey tournament, Bhagwant Mann said, "There's no problem with a multi-nation tournament. Perhaps a bilateral series (India vs. Pakistan) won't be held." He also noted that Oman and Bangladesh have been designated as reserve teams. If either team withdraws from the tournament, a replacement can be included.
India's policy on bilateral series against Pakistan
The central sports policy regarding Pakistan prohibits any bilateral contact with the country against which India had carried out a brief military action last year after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
