Punjab chief minister confirms Pakistan’s hockey squad clear to play in India

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has confirmed that Pakistan’s men’s hockey team will take part in the Asian Champions Trophy, set to be staged in India from October 27 to November 5.

The six team event brings together host India along with Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. Mann addressed questions about whether the necessary approvals were in place for Pakistan’s participation, explaining that India’s current policy permits the neighboring country to compete in multinational tournaments even though bilateral series between the two nations remain off limits. He said individual series between India and Pakistan may not be possible, but multinational tournaments present no obstacle.

Matches will be split across two Punjab cities, with the league stage taking place in Jalandhar before the semi finals and final shift to Mohali. Organizers have named Oman and Bangladesh as reserve teams in case any of the six confirmed sides pull out before the tournament begins.

India arrives as the two time defending champion, having claimed the title on home soil in Chennai in 2023 before retaining it the following year in Hulunbuir, China. New Delhi’s broader sports policy still rules out direct bilateral contests with Pakistan given the ongoing tension between the two countries, though the Sports Ministry has consistently held that multilateral events fall under a different standard, one it says aligns with the Olympic Charter’s provisions on international competition.

Mann pledged his government’s full backing for the tournament, noting that this marks the first time Punjab will host the Asian Champions Trophy. Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, who appeared alongside Mann at Monday’s event, described the working relationship between the Indian and Pakistani hockey federations as strong, saying he wanted that goodwill placed on record.

The tournament’s arrival in Punjab adds another chapter to a long history of sporting contact between India and Pakistan continuing even when political relations sour, with hockey often serving as one of the few arenas where the two federations maintain open channels despite restrictions elsewhere.