Pakistan Withdraw from Asian Hockey Champions Trophy; Bangladesh to Face India in Opener

India to Face Bangladesh in Asian Champions Trophy Opener in Jalandhar on October 27

India will launch their title defence at the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 against Bangladesh in Jalandhar on October 27. The tournament will be staged across two venues in Punjab, with the competition concluding on November 5.

The league phase will be held at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2. The knockout matches will subsequently move to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.

The semi-finals are scheduled for November 4, followed by the bronze-medal match and the final on November 5.

Six teams will participate in the tournament: India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh. India, the defending champions and reigning Asian Games gold medallists, will be the highest-ranked team in the competition. The five-time champions will aim to maintain their supremacy in Asian hockey on home soil.

The tournament will begin with an opening ceremony on October 27, ahead of India’s first match against Bangladesh. All six participating teams will play each other once during the round-robin stage, with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals.

India’s league-stage schedule will see them face China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2. Every Indian match in the league phase is scheduled to start at 7 PM IST.

The tournament calendar includes three rest days on October 28, October 31 and November 3.

India have dominated the Asian Champions Trophy over the years, winning the title in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024. They shared the 2018 crown with Pakistan and secured their latest title in 2024. The Indian team will look to add another trophy to its collection while playing in front of its home supporters in Punjab.

Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said the announcement of the fixtures had heightened anticipation for the tournament.

“The announcement of the match schedule adds to the excitement for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026. We are delighted to welcome the teams from across Asia to Punjab and look forward to witnessing some high-quality hockey,” Tirkey said.

Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh also welcomed the schedule announcement, saying preparations for the continental competition had entered an exciting phase.

“With the schedule now announced, the countdown to the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 has truly begun,” Singh said.