Jalandhar 6 November : The successful hosting of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Jalandhar and Mohali has opened up fresh opportunities for Punjab to become a major destination for international hockey tournaments. Hockey Punjab President and Hockey India Vice President Nitin Kohli has said that efforts will be made to bring more prestigious competitions to the state, including the 2027 Junior Hockey World Cup.
Addressing the media after the tournament, Nitin Kohli, Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar Varjeet Walia, Commissioner of Police Satinder Singh and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Surinder Singh appreciated the collective efforts behind the successful organisation of the international event. The tournament was hosted in Punjab for the first time, with matches taking place in Jalandhar and Mohali.
The officials expressed gratitude to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for supporting the initiative and facilitating the hosting of the championship in the state. They highlighted that the stadium infrastructure in both cities was upgraded and prepared within approximately four months to meet the requirements of the international tournament.
Kohli said the response from hockey fans had been particularly encouraging. Referring to communications received from Hockey India and the Asian Hockey Federation, he said the matches in Jalandhar and Mohali attracted some of the strongest spectator turnouts among international hockey tournaments hosted in the country.
He also appreciated the efforts of the district administration and other departments involved in preparing the venues and managing the event. According to him, the participation of local residents and the sports fraternity demonstrated the enthusiasm for international hockey in Punjab.
Highlighting his plans for the future, Kohli said he would make efforts to bring the 2027 Junior Hockey World Cup to Punjab. He added that the successful organisation of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy had created an opportunity to attract more international competitions to the state.
He further said that efforts would be made to organise regular national and international hockey tournaments at the stadium. On the issue of infrastructure maintenance, Kohli stated that the Punjab Government was in the process of allotting responsibility to a dedicated agency through an official tendering process to ensure the proper upkeep of the facility.
The officials also thanked the people of Jalandhar and Mohali for their enthusiastic participation throughout the championship, describing public support as an important part of the tournament's success.
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