Bangladesh have replaced Pakistan in the men's Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 after the late withdrawal of the men in green from the six-team continental tournament, which is scheduled to begin from October 27 to November 5.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani had said last month that the team's participation in the tournament in India would depend on government clearance.
According to some reports that came in September, the federation would follow the government's decision on the matter.
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With Bangladesh taking Pakistan's place, the tournament will feature India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, India are the defending champions and reigning Asian Games gold medallists, having successfully defended their title at the Asian Games in Japan last week.
The Harmanpreet Singh-led side beat Malaysia by 5-1, and have also secured direct qualification for the 2028 LA Olympics.
They will now enter the competition looking to continue their strong run.
The five-time Asian Champions Trophy winners will look to continue their strong record in the competition as they take on the other participating teams on home soil.
Asian Champions Trophy 2026: Venues And Schedule
The Asian Hockey Federation announced the tournament schedule on Friday. Matches will be played at two venues in Punjab: the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar and the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.
Jalandhar will host all league-stage matches from October 27 to November 2. The tournament will then move to Mohali for the knockout stage, with the semi-finals scheduled for November 4 and the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches set to take place on November 5.
The opening ceremony will be held on October 27, shortly before India face Bangladesh in their opening match.
India's Asian Champions Trophy 2026 Schedule
The six participating teams will compete in a single round-robin league stage, with each side playing five matches. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on October 27. They will then face China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2.
All five of India's league-stage matches are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. IST.
The tournament will have three rest days on October 28, October 31 and November 3.
Asian Champions Trophy 2026: Significance For Punjab
The tournament marks an important occasion for Punjab, a state widely regarded as the nursery of Indian hockey. The state has produced generations of prominent players who have contributed to India's hockey legacy.
The return of international hockey to Punjab is expected to bring the sport closer to its passionate local fan base while highlighting the state's longstanding relation with the game.
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India Aim To Extend Asian Champions Trophy Record
India are the most successful team in the history of the Asian Champions Trophy, having won the title in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024, where India and Pakistan were the joint winners in 2018.
The hosts will now aim to add another title to their record when they compete against Asia's leading hockey teams in Punjab from October 27 to November 5.
"The announcement of the match schedule adds to the excitement for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026. We are delighted to welcome teams from across Asia to Punjab and look forward to witnessing some high-quality hockey," Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey noted.
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