Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressed a high-profile press conference at the Chief Minister’s Residence in Chandigarh on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, to announce that the state has officially secured the hosting rights for the Asian Hockey Championship 2026. This marks the return of elite international hockey to the state after a hiatus of 44 years. The matches are scheduled to take place between October 28 and November 11, 2026, and will be jointly hosted at the Burlton Park Stadium in Jalandhar and the international hockey stadium in Mohali.
During the briefing, the Chief Minister highlighted that his government has already implemented a “sports revolution” in the state, underlined by an unprecedented ₹1,791 crore allocation for sports in the 2026-27 budget. He noted that Punjab is now equipped with world-class infrastructure, including 3,100 playgrounds and 6,000 new indoor gyms, to support international events. Mann emphasized that initiatives like “Khedan Watan Punjab Dian” have successfully provided a platform for millions of budding athletes, steering them away from drug abuse and toward a healthier future.
Chief Spokesperson Baltej Pannu had earlier teased the “historic announcement” on social media, framing it as a major step in restoring Punjab’s status as a global nursery for hockey. The upcoming championship will feature the top six teams from Asia, including India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and China. Infrastructure upgrades are currently underway at Jalandhar’s Burlton Park as part of a ₹78-crore project to ensure facilities meet global standards before the opening ceremony in Mohali this October.
