The Asian Champions Trophy showcased intense hockey action on October 29, 2026, at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.
The host nation, India, along with Japan and Malaysia, emerged victorious in their respective matches.
In a thrilling encounter, India defeated China 5-2. Captain Harmanpreet Singh shone brightly, scoring two goals through penalty corners in the 27th and 31st minutes. Sukjeet Singh contributed with two field goals, netting in the 12th and 34th minutes. Jugraj Singh added another goal via a penalty corner in the 47th minute.
On the other side, China’s Peng Yang and Chongkong Chen managed to score through penalty corners in the 26th and 36th minutes, respectively.
Gurmeet Singh Khudiyan, Punjab’s Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, attended the India-China match and interacted with players from both teams. He credited Bhagwant Singh Mann’s continuous efforts for Punjab’s opportunity to host the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy. Khudiyan emphasized Punjab’s status as a “hockey powerhouse” and assured that the state government is committed to making the tournament a significant success.
In another match of the day, Japan narrowly defeated Bangladesh 1-0, with Raiki Fujishima scoring the sole goal from a penalty corner in the 40th minute.
Earlier, Malaysia faced South Korea, winning the match 3-1. Azimuddin Kamaruddin opened the scoring for Malaysia with a field goal in the 10th minute. South Korea equalized with a field goal from Song Hae-seong in the 31st minute. However, Malaysia responded strongly, with Mohammad Akhimullah Anwar Sook converting a penalty corner into a goal in the 36th minute, followed by another goal from Faisal bin Sari in the 50th minute, sealing the match at 3-1.