Punjab has allocated a historic ₹1,743 crore sports budget for the current financial year, with the state government linking the increased spending to its push to develop sports infrastructure and host major international sporting events and the announcement comes as Punjab prepares to host the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026, with matches scheduled in Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5.
According to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the ₹1,743 crore allocation is a major increase for the sports sector, the government has said that the sports budget had never crossed ₹100 crore earlier, making the current allocation significantly higher than previous levels.
A part of this spending is being directed towards sports infrastructure in the state. The government has also sanctioned a separate ₹25.40 crore budget for organising the Asian Champions Trophy 2026.
Of this tournament-related amount, ₹22.96 crore is being spent on upgrading the two main venues for the championship. In Jalandhar, ₹14 crore has been allocated for the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium, while ₹8.96 crore is being spent on the Olympian Balbir Singh (Senior) International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.
The Jalandhar venue is located in the Burlton Park area, which has long been associated with the city's sporting infrastructure.
The Asian Champions Trophy will be Punjab's first time hosting the international hockey tournament. The league stage and opening ceremony will be held at the Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2 and the tournament will then move to Mohali, where the semi-finals will be held on November 4 and the final on November 5.
One of the biggest attractions will be the India-Pakistan match on November 1 at 7 pm in Jalandhar, which will coincide with Punjab Day and the tournament will feature India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and China. Oman and Bangladesh have been named as reserve teams, according to the Chief Minister.
Another major announcement is that there will be no tickets for any of the matches.
Entry will be free, with the government saying the decision is aimed at allowing students, young players and hockey fans to watch international hockey without a financial barrier.
Beyond the tournament, the Punjab government has outlined several other sports-related initiatives under the ₹1,743 crore allocation and according to Mann, the state is developing 3,148 rural sports grounds, of which 750 have already been inaugurated. The government is also working on 6,000 modern gymnasiums, with 500 already operational.
The state has also announced financial assistance for athletes preparing for major international competitions. Players preparing for the Olympics receive ₹15 lakh, while athletes preparing for the Asian and Commonwealth Games receive ₹8 lakh, according to the government.
Since 2022, more than 40,000 players have received cash awards worth ₹135 crore, the Chief Minister said.
Punjab's sports policy also includes cash rewards for Olympic medal winners and the government provides ₹3 crore for a gold medal, ₹2 crore for silver and ₹1 crore for bronze.
The increased sports spending comes at a time when Punjab is positioning itself to host more international competitions, Mann said India will host the Hockey World Cup in 2030 and that Punjab will stake its claim to host matches of that tournament as well and for Jalandhar, the Asian Champions Trophy will bring international hockey back to the city, with the ₹14 crore venue upgrade forming part of the state's preparations. The tournament will also give the government an opportunity to showcase the infrastructure being developed under its larger sports spending plan.
