Will Pakistan participate in Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026?

Pakistan and India’s suspended sporting ties have complicated matters

The Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 will feature six of the continent’s best hockey teams vying for the title. It will be the second edition of the tournament hosted in India and the first ever held in Punjab.

India enter the tournament as the defending champions and the most successful team in the competition, having won the title a record five times. The Men in Blue will look to defend their title against five other top Asian hockey teams.

However, one issue has plagued the tournament organisers even before the first push-off. This concerns the involvement of Pakistan, the second-most successful team in the tournament with five titles.

Relations between India and Pakistan are at one of their lowest points following the Pahalgam terror attack in 2025, in which 26 people were killed. India launched a military response named ‘Operation Sindoor,’ which led to a small-scale conflict with Pakistan.

Since then, the Indian government has suspended all sporting ties with Pakistan, with bilateral events across sports being halted. However, owing allegiance to the Olympic Charter, both countries have faced each other in multinational events.

The strained relationship between the two countries led to fears that the Pakistani team could withdraw from the upcoming Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Punjab, much like it did during the Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu last year.

Also Read: Dates, venues confirmed for Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026

Will Pakistan hockey team play in India?

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann provided a positive update regarding the Pakistani team’s participation in the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy.

Mann confirmed that Pakistan remain one of the six teams that are scheduled to compete in the tournament, in line with India’s policy allowing the two nations to meet in multinational events.

“There is no problem in multinational tournaments,” Mann said, as quoted by The Hindu. “Maybe individual series (India and Pakistan) cannot take place.”

However, Pakistan’s participation in the tournament is far from certain, despite approval from the Indian authorities. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani said the team would require the government’s approval and would follow its directives.

“The visit of the Pakistan team will depend on government clearance,” Wani told Dawn. “We will do whatever the government asks us to do.”

According to media reports, the organisers have already named two teams – Oman and Bangladesh – as reserve teams in case Pakistan withdraws from the tournament. However, as things stand, the Green Shirts are scheduled to travel to India.

India vs Pakistan hockey match at Asian Champions Trophy 2026

The Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 will be jointly hosted by Jalandhar and Mohali.

The opening ceremony and the league-stage matches from October 27 to November 2 will be held at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar. The semi-finals on November 4 and the final on November 5 will be played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.

The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan hockey match will take place on November 1 in Jalandhar.

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