Fresh from retaining their Asian Games gold in Japan, India's men's hockey team open their Asian Champions Trophy title defence against Bangladesh in Jalandhar on Tuesday, October 27, after the opening ceremony.

Hockey India announced on October 20 that entry to all 20 matches will be free. Fans can register for passes on the federation's ticketing partner, ticketgenie.in.

Teams and venues

Six teams are competing: India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh. Bangladesh replaced Pakistan, which withdrew after its government did not clear the trip. League matches will be played at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar until November 2. The semi-finals and medal matches will be held on November 4 and 5 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.

India's league fixtures

  • October 27: Bangladesh
  • October 29: China
  • October 30: Japan
  • November 1: Malaysia
  • November 2: South Korea

India are the most successful side in the competition's history and beat China 1-0 in the 2024 final. "Winning the Asian Games gold in Japan was a special achievement for this group," chief coach Craig Fulton said, adding that the focus had to shift quickly to the challenge at home.

"By making entry free for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, we hope to bring more supporters to the stands," said Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.