CHANDIGARH, MAY 30 — High-level preparations have commenced in Punjab to host the upcoming Hockey Asian Champions Trophy later this year, an initiative that state executives described Saturday as a historic opportunity to boost regional sports development.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led an administrative review with sports authorities and cabinet officials to finalize security, public transit, and field management plans for the event. The state executive directed field engineers to bring stadium facilities in Mohali and Jalandhar up to international standards, promising comprehensive backing to national hockey organizers to deliver an optimal competitive layout.
“The Punjab Government is fully committed to making grand arrangements and providing security and every possible facility to the players participating in this global event,” Mann stated, reviewing the state’s operational duties. He noted that the arrival of the continent’s top six hockey teams represents an exceptional milestone for the territory’s sporting history.
The administration is approaching the tournament as an effective tool to draw young residents toward professional athletics. Mann asserted that although the region has consistently supplied elite talent to national hockey rosters over many decades, the state had never previously secured the rights to manage a continental tournament of this scale.
“It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that Punjab will host an international sporting event of this magnitude,” the Chief Minister stated, characterizing the upcoming fixtures as a long-awaited realization of the state’s athletic ambitions.
The state has positioned senior administrative personnel, including Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and regional hockey representatives, to oversee the construction timelines directly. The Chief Minister maintained that the completed stadium overhauls will leave a lasting infrastructure footprint, helping municipal centers across Punjab train future generations of competitors under modern tournament conditions.
