Punjab Allocates Rs 25 Crore for Asian Hockey Champions Trophy Stadiums in Jalandhar and Mohaliਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਹਾਕੀ ਚੈਂਪੀਅਨਜ਼ ਟਰਾਫ਼ੀ ਲਈ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨੇ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਅਤੇ ਮੋਹਾਲੀ ਸਟੇਡੀਅਮਾਂ ਲਈ 25 ਕਰੋੜ ਰੁਪਏ ਰੱਖੇ

Punjab will host the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for the first time this month, and the state has allocated about Rs 25 crore to bring the stadiums in Jalandhar and Mohali up to international standards, Mohali Mayor and AAP Punjab leader Sarabjit Singh said at a press conference in Mohali on Wednesday, October 21.

Where the money goes

Of the roughly Rs 25 crore, Rs 16 crore is being spent on the renovation and upgradation of stadiums in Jalandhar, while about Rs 8.90 crore is earmarked for stadiums in Mohali, Singh said. The league matches of the tournament will be played in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2, at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium. The tournament then moves to Mohali, where the semi-finals will be played on November 4 and the third-place match and final on November 5, at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium.

Six teams are taking part: India, Bangladesh, Japan, China, Malaysia and South Korea. India are the defending champions and the most successful team in the tournament's history, with five titles, in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024, sharing the 2018 title with Pakistan. Entry to the stadiums will be free for spectators throughout the tournament, and Singh appealed to people to turn up in large numbers.

The build-up has already started

A nine-day trophy tour began on October 18 at the Mohali stadium and is travelling through Patiala, Amritsar, Bathinda, Ludhiana and Kapurthala before concluding in Jalandhar on October 26, a day before the first match. For Punjab's players in the India squad, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, the tournament is a homecoming: Punjab has given Indian hockey some of its greatest players, and international hockey is returning to the state's own grounds.

Singh credited Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's efforts for bringing the tournament to Punjab, and said the government's Khed Kranti programme was showing results, with cash awards of about Rs 135 crore distributed to around 40,000 players and new stadiums being built across the state, around 32 of them under construction in Mohali alone. He said hosting the event would raise Punjab's profile in international sport and encourage more young people to take up hockey and other sports, and he urged parents to involve their children in sport alongside their studies.

When and where is the Asian Champions Trophy being played?

League matches are in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2; the semi-finals are in Mohali on November 4, with the third-place match and final on November 5.

How much is Punjab spending on the stadiums?

About Rs 25 crore in total: Rs 16 crore in Jalandhar and about Rs 8.90 crore in Mohali, to prepare the venues to international standards.

Which teams are playing, and is entry free?

India, Bangladesh, Japan, China, Malaysia and South Korea. Entry for spectators is free throughout the tournament.