Jalandhar, Oct 28: International hockey officially made its grand return to Punjab as the Indian Men’s Hockey Team secured a comprehensive 13-0 result against Bangladesh in their opening fixture of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 on Tuesday. The opening day at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium placed the host nation at the top of the league table, supported by sharp finishing and structured set-piece execution.
Mandeep Singh asserted his presence early, accumulating three goals across the contest to register a fine hat-trick. Captain Harmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, and Hardik Singh produced double strikes to keep the momentum steadily with the team. Additional field goals and set-piece conversions were registered by Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Nilakanta Sharma, and Jugraj Singh.
Midfielder Nilakanta Sharma affirmed after the match that he will be retiring from international duty at the conclusion of this event, making the home campaign his final competitive outing for the national side.
The opening quarter saw India set a high tempo, as Harmanpreet’s early drag-flick found the net to set the standard. Dynamic passing sequences across the pitch created consistent opportunities, carrying India to a 6-0 advantage by the midpoint of the contest. Despite a brief spell of tactical resistance from Bangladesh in the third quarter, India extended their margin through swift counter-attacks and disciplined penalty corner variations.
Hardik capped off the offensive performance in the 60th minute with two late strikes, bringing a successful close to the evening for the home team amidst strong crowd support in Jalandhar.
The sporting action was preceded by an opening ceremony attended by Chief Minister of Punjab, Shri Bhagwant Mann, who unveiled the official event trophy. The proceedings highlighted the region’s cultural heritage with traditional Bhangra and Giddha presentations, Gatka demonstrations, and musical entertainment to mark the arrival of Asia’s top hockey teams.
In other opening-day fixtures, Malaysia registered a 5-4 result over China, and Japan claimed a narrow 3-2 victory against South Korea. Following a rest day on October 28, India will take on China in their second league encounter on October 29. Matches will continue in Jalandhar until November 2, after which the event shifts to Mohali for the semi-finals and finals.
