Fresh from retaining their men’s Asian Games hockey title, India will now turn their attention to the Asian Champions Trophy, to be held in Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5.

India became the first team to successfully defend the Asian Games men’s hockey gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan. Now the hosts will carry that momentum into a tournament staged on home soil in Punjab.

Six teams will compete: India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and China. League matches will be played at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, with the semifinals and final at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.

India are the tournament’s most successful team, with four titles since its launch in 2011. ‘The celebrations are behind us, and our focus has to shift quickly,’ said chief coach Craig Fulton. It is the first time Punjab is hosting the competition.