Hockey India has made entry free for all 20 matches of the men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab. Fans must register online for passes, and the offer covers Jalandhar and Mohali as India, led by Harmanpreet Singh, begin their title defence on 27 October.
New Delhi, India: The turnstiles at Punjab’s two hockey stadiums will cost nothing this month. Hockey India announced on Tuesday, 20 October, that spectators can watch every match of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 without paying, a week before the tournament opens.
How fans get in
Entry is free but not unregulated. Fans have to register for passes through Hockey India’s online ticketing partner, ticketgenie, either on its website or its mobile app. After registering, they choose the matches they want from the fixture list and receive a digital pass carrying a QR code, which is scanned at the stadium gate.
Two stadiums, ten days
The six-team tournament runs from 27 October to 5 November. The Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar hosts the league stage from 27 October to 2 November. The action then moves to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, which stages the semi-finals and medal matches on 4 and 5 November. In all, 20 matches fall under the free-entry offer.
What the federation said
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey framed the decision around attendance. “By making entry free for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, we hope to bring more supporters to the stands,” he said. Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said the aim was to make hockey more accessible and bring fans closer to the game, and he expressed hope of full stadiums at both venues.
India’s title defence
The crowds will have a home side to follow. India, the tournament’s most successful team, open against Bangladesh in Jalandhar on 27 October, with every one of their league matches starting at 7 pm IST. China follow on 29 October, then Japan on 30 October, Malaysia on 1 November and South Korea on 2 November. Bangladesh are in the field in place of Pakistan, who will not take part.
Harmanpreet leads an 18-man squad that Hockey India named on 13 October, and the same captain scored twice when India beat Pakistan 5-3 at the World Cup in August. The semi-finals are scheduled for 4 November, with the bronze-medal match and the final following on 5 November. With no ticket to buy, the only barrier between a fan and the final week of the tournament is a few taps on a phone.
