New Delhi, October 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
For six members of India’s hockey squad, the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Punjab will be more than a battle for an international title. It will be a homecoming to the ground where their dreams of representing the country began.
The tournament, starting on October 27, will bring Manpreet Singh, captain Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and goalkeeper Krishan Pathak back to Jalandhar, where they honed their skills at the Surjit Hockey Academy.
For Manpreet, who made his senior India debut in 2011 and has since played 430 international matches, won two Olympic medals and claimed three Asian Games gold medals, the occasion carries special significance. Despite his distinguished career, he has never represented India in an international tournament in front of his home-state supporters.
“It’s going to be an emotional moment,” Manpreet said, recalling how the academy helped the players develop their skills and confidence to pursue bigger ambitions.
Dilpreet, 26, also has strong memories of Jalandhar, where he played his first national championship before earning selection for India. He said his family was eagerly waiting for the tournament, with his parents even keen to watch him train.
For Harmanpreet, the competition will provide a long-awaited opportunity to have his family watch him play an international match in Punjab. The Indian captain, who led the country to Asian Games gold in two consecutive editions, said it would be a special occasion for all players from the state.
Pathak, meanwhile, is preparing to return to the Indian team after an absence of nine months. He thanked the Punjab government and Hockey India for bringing international hockey back to the state, describing the opportunity to play at the ground where he trained for seven years as particularly meaningful.
Jarmanpreet also sees the tournament as a personal milestone. After spending two years outside the national team, he trained at the Surjit Hockey Academy while working towards his comeback.
“This is the place that gave us wings,” he said.
The ninth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy will feature India, Malaysia, Japan, China, South Korea and Bangladesh. The league stage will run from October 27 to November 2 in Jalandhar, followed by the semi-finals and medal matches at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on November 4 and 5.
India, five-time champions, enter the competition as the most successful team among the participants. The hosts will open their campaign against Bangladesh in Jalandhar on October 27.
For the former academy teammates, however, the tournament’s importance goes beyond medals and results. They will return to the place where their hockey journeys took shape, this time representing the country they once dreamed of playing for.
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