‘We dared to dream big here’: Punjab homecoming makes ACT special for Manpreet, Harmanpreet and academy mates
New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) For Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and four other members of India’s hockey squad, the Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 will be more than a chance to compete for an international title. The tournament, scheduled to begin on October 27 in Jalandhar and Mohali, will bring six Indian internationals back to the ground where their journeys at the Surjit Hockey Academy began.
Manpreet, who made his senior India debut in 2011, has since played 430 matches, won two Olympic medals and become a three-time Asian Games gold medallist. Yet, he has never had the opportunity to represent India in front of fans in his home state of Punjab. The upcoming tournament will finally give the veteran midfielder that experience.
The Jalandhar venue holds particular significance for Manpreet, captain Harmanpreet, Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and goalkeeper Krishan Pathak, all of whom spent their formative years developing their game at the Surjit Hockey Academy.
“It’s going to be an emotional moment,” said Manpreet. “When we were selected for the national camps, we carried our dreams with us. The time we spent at the Surjit Hockey Academy taught us not just how to play but also emboldened us to dare to dream big.”
For Dilpreet, the youngest among the six at 26, the occasion carries memories of the first steps towards international hockey. The forward played his first national championship from Jalandhar before earning his India selection.
“Our careers launched from here, I played my first national (championship) from here before getting selected for India,” said Dilpreet.
The homecoming is also a source of excitement for their families, many of whom will get their first opportunity to watch their children represent India at an international tournament in Punjab.
“My parents keep asking me when is the tournament beginning, when can we come; they even want to come and watch me in training sessions,” said Dilpreet, whose sporting inspiration came from his grandfather, a long-jumper, and his father, who played hockey.
For Pathak, the tournament marks another important milestone as he prepares to return to the Indian team after an absence of nine months. The goalkeeper expressed gratitude to the Punjab government and Hockey India for bringing international hockey back to the state.
“I would like to thank the Punjab government and Hockey India for giving us this opportunity to play in Punjab,” said Pathak. “What makes the occasion even bigger for me and others from the Surjit Hockey Academy is that we will be playing at the same ground where we learned the sport for seven years. I don’t think there can be anything bigger than that.”
India captain Harmanpreet is equally eager for the tournament to begin, with the hosts scheduled to face Bangladesh in their opening match in Jalandhar on October 27.
“It’s going to be a special occasion for the entire team, especially for the players who belong to Punjab because it’s the first time that we will be wearing India jersey at an international tournament in Punjab,” said Harmanpreet.
“My entire family is expected to be at the stadium watching me play an international match together from the venue for the first time, including my father who has never seen me play for the country while sitting inside the stadium,” added Harmanpreet, who became the first Indian captain to lead the country to Asian Games gold medals in two consecutive editions.
Jarmanpreet, meanwhile, sees the tournament as a return to the place that helped him rebuild his career. The defender spent two years outside the Indian team, using that period to train at the academy and work towards an international comeback.
“This is the place that gave us wings. For me it’s even more special because the two years I was not part of the Indian team, I spent that time at the Surjit Academy training and striving for a comeback, which eventually happened,” said Jarmanpreet.
Midfielder Hardik Singh also spent a couple of years at the Surjit Hockey Academy, although most of his development took place at the Mohali Hockey Academy before he joined the national camp.
The ninth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy will feature India, Malaysia, Japan, China, South Korea and Bangladesh. The league stage will run from October 27 to November 2 in Jalandhar before the competition moves to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali for the semi-finals and medal matches on November 4 and 5.
India, five-time champions, enter the tournament as the most successful team among the participants. South Korea are the only other competing nation to have won the title previously.
For the six former academy teammates, however, the significance of the tournament extends beyond the standings. Their return to Jalandhar will reunite them with the setting where their ambitions took shape, this time wearing the national jersey they once dreamed of earning.
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