Pakistan confirms participation for Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab subject to government clearance

Pakistan’s proposed tour to India for next month’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament is subject to government clearance, the president of the country’s hockey federation Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani said on Monday, after Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed that Pakistan would participate in the event. Wani, who is also federal secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, told Dawn that the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) would abide by the government’s decision on the national team’s participation. “The visit of the Pakistan team will depend on government clearance. We will do whatever the government asks us to do,” Wani said, adding that Mann’s statement had no bearing on the PHF’s position. Mann, according to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report, said Pakistan would be among the six teams competing in the Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held from Oct 27 to Nov 5. “There is no problem in multi-national tournaments. Maybe individual series [between India and Pakistan] cannot take place,” Mann said at an event in Mohali when asked about Pakistan’s participation and whether the requisite clearances had been obtained. The tournament is scheduled to feature hosts India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. The league matches will be played in Jalandhar, while the semi-finals and final are scheduled to be held in Mohali. India’s sports policy bars bilateral sporting engagements with Pakistan amid tensions between the two countries, but the Sports Ministry has maintained that the two sides can compete against each other in multi-lateral events in line with the Olympic Charter. Pakistan, however, withdrew from last year’s Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu, citing heightened tensions between the two countries in May last year. Mann said the proposed India-Pakistan match on Nov 1 in Jalandhar would be one of the major attractions of the tournament and would coincide with Punjab Day. “India and Pakistan may have their rivalries on the hockey field, but sport has its own language,” PTI quoted Mann as saying. Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, who was also present at Monday’s event, described relations between the hockey federations of the two countries as “excellent”. The Asian Champions Trophy is being organised under the aegis of the Asian Hockey Federation. It was not held last year, while India are the defending champions after winning the 2023 edition in Chennai — in which Pakistan participated — and the 2024 tournament in Hulunbuir, China. The tournament will open in Jalandhar on Oct 27, with the final scheduled to be played in Mohali on Nov 5.

Pakistan will be among the six countries that would compete in next month's Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Monday, citing the union government's policy which allows the arch-foes to play on Indian soil during multilateral engagements.VIDEO | Mohali: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) releases logo for Men's Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2026. On the occasion, he says, "Punjab is known for sports, there have been Milkha Singh, Dara Singh. When you talk hockey, Punjab is considered as nursery of hockey,… pic.twitter.com/ZKDDABj3RB— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 14, 2026 Six teams to competeThe Asian Champions Trophy, to be held from October 27 to November 5, will feature India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea and will be played at Jalandhar and Mohali's hockey stadiums.Two reserve teams -- Oman and Bangladesh -- have also been named for the tournament in case of pullouts. The event, which is held under the aegis of the Asian Hockey Federation, is an annual competition but was not held last year.India enter the competition as defending champions, having won the title in 2023 (Chennai) and 2024 (Hulunbuir, China).Harmanpreet Kaur Hilariously Lifts Water Bottle In Celebration After India Refuses Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi | VIDEOPakistan participation cleared"There is no problem in multinational tournaments. Maybe individual series (India and Pakistan) cannot take place," Mann said when asked about Pakistan's participation and whether the requisite clearances have been taken for it.The central sports policy with regard to Pakistan bars any bilateral engagement with the country against which India launched a brief military offensive just last year after the Pahalgam terror attack killed 26 people.However, adhering to the Olympic Charter, the Sports Ministry has stated that the two countries can compete against each other in multilateral events and India would not stop athletes from across the border from playing here for such engagements.ਸਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਇਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਮਾਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਿਸੇ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਹਾਕੀ ਟੂਰਨਾਮੈਂਟ 'ਹਾਕੀ ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਚੈਂਪੀਅਨਜ਼ ਟਰਾਫੀ 2026' ਦੀ ਮੇਜ਼ਬਾਨੀ ਕਰਨ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ.. 27 ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਤੋਂ 5 ਨਵੰਬਰ ਤੱਕ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਇਸ ਵੱਕਾਰੀ ਟੂਰਨਾਮੈਂਟ ਦੇ ਲੀਗ ਮੈਚ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਅਤੇ ਸੈਮੀਫਾਈਨਲ/ਫਾਈਨਲ ਮੁਕਾਬਲੇ ਮੋਹਾਲੀ ਵਿਖੇ ਖੇਡੇ ਜਾਣਗੇ..… pic.twitter.com/JPbNbyOzba— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) September 14, 2026 Tensions affected previous tournamentDespite this, Pakistan had withdrawn 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.Mann said league stage ACT matches will be played at Jalandhar, while the semi-final and the final will be played in Mohali stadium.Assuring full support for hosting the event, Mann said Punjab is committed to ensuring the successful organisation of the first-ever tournament in the state's history.Federations share excellent relationsHockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, who was also in attendance at Monday's event, said the relationship between the hockey federations of India and Pakistan is "excellent"."I want to say this on record that we share very good relations between the hockey federations of India and Pakistan."You must have noticed that whenever I go, if the Indian team defeats Pakistan, I meet the Pakistani team first. The boys (players) there also show immense respect," said Singh.Final scheduled in MohaliThe Asian Champions Trophy will commence on October 27 in Jalandhar and the final match will be held in Mohali on November 5.