Pakistan Out of Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026, Bangladesh Take Its Place

Pakistan is not in the hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026. The Asian Hockey Federation published the match schedule on Friday 9 October 2026 with six teams: India, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. Bangladesh has taken the place Pakistan held in the draw. The event runs from 27 October to 5 November in Jalandhar and Mohali, in India's Punjab.

We read the schedule notice on the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) website and the release from Hockey India, the host federation, both dated 9 October. Neither names Pakistan as a participant. Neither explains why Pakistan is missing, and we have not found a Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) statement on the change.

So this is the end of a dispute that started in September. The PHF had asked for a neutral venue, Hockey India said no, and Pakistan's visit depended on government clearance. Our report on the Asian Champions Trophy venue dispute called the trip undecided on 8 October. One day later, the official team list settled it.

The official 2026 team list has six nations and no Pakistan

The AHF lists India, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026. In September, Pakistan was one of the six teams and was drawn to play India on 1 November in Jalandhar. Bangladesh now fills the sixth place.

Hockey India calls India the title holders and five-time winners. It lists their titles as 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024, and notes that the 2018 title was shared with Pakistan. So Pakistan will miss the chance to win back a trophy it last held jointly eight years ago.

Reports differ on whether Pakistan withdrew or was replaced

Press reports on 9 October say Pakistan was dropped after refusing to send its team to India, and that the AHF rejected its neutral venue demand. Some reports call it a withdrawal. Others say Pakistan was removed. The official pages do not use either word.

Here is what we can confirm, and what we cannot:

• Confirmed: the AHF and Hockey India team lists of 9 October do not include Pakistan.
• Confirmed: Bangladesh is in the six-team list.
• Reported, not confirmed by us: that Bangladesh and Oman had been named as reserve teams in advance.
• Reported, not confirmed by us: that Pakistan's government did not clear the visit.
• Not found: any PHF statement, any AHF reason, or any penalty for Pakistan.

One warning for readers who go looking. The address phf.org.pk does not belong to the hockey federation. When we opened it on 10 October, it showed an unrelated charity. Do not trust hockey news, trials notices or "registration" links from that address.

The league runs in Jalandhar from 27 October and the final is in Mohali on 5 November

All league games are in Jalandhar from 27 October to 2 November. The semi-finals are on 4 November and the bronze and gold medal matches on 5 November, both in Mohali. Each team plays five league games, and the top four reach the semi-finals.

Hockey India has published India's five league games. All start at 7:00 pm India time, which is 6:30 pm in Pakistan. We converted the time ourselves; India Standard Time is 30 minutes ahead of PKT.

The 1 November date was India v Pakistan in the September reports. On the new schedule, India play Malaysia that day. There are three rest days, on 28 October, 31 October and 3 November.

Pakistan loses five games against Asia's best teams

Missing this event costs Pakistan five competitive matches against strong Asian sides just weeks after the Asian Games. That matters, because Pakistan beat Korea for a bronze medal on 3 October and has an Olympic qualifier to prepare for.

Pakistan's run at the Asian Games ended with a 4-3 semi-final loss to India and then a 5-3 win over Korea for the bronze medal. Four of the six Asian Champions Trophy teams, India, Korea, Japan and Malaysia, were in that Asian Games field too.

On 6 October the AHF confirmed that Pakistan, as bronze medallists, have a place in the FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Only India, the Asian Games champions, qualified directly. Those qualifiers are due in early 2028, according to the FIH qualification system.

Competitive games against top teams are hard to find. Losing five of them is a real cost for a squad trying to rebuild. Whether the PHF can arrange other matches in that window is not known yet.

What to watch next

The next useful step is a statement from the PHF or the AHF that explains the decision. Until one appears, the reason for Pakistan's absence rests on press reports only. We will add any official word to this page.

1. Watch for a PHF statement on why the team did not travel.
2. Watch for any AHF note on sanctions or on the reserve process.
3. Watch for Pakistan's next fixtures, since the late October window is now free.
4. Check the full AHF schedule for the other teams' match times before 27 October.

The full run of Pakistan's Asian Games hockey results shows the form the team had before this decision.

Common questions

Is Pakistan playing in the hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026?

No. The official AHF schedule of 9 October 2026 lists six teams, India, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia, and does not include Pakistan.

Who replaced Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy?

Bangladesh. It is in the official six-team list. Reports say Bangladesh and Oman were the reserve teams, but we could not confirm that on an official page.

Did Pakistan withdraw or was it removed?

Reports differ. Some say Pakistan withdrew after its neutral venue request was rejected, and others say it was removed. The AHF and Hockey India pages do not say.

Where and when is the Asian Champions Trophy 2026?

From 27 October to 5 November 2026. League games are in Jalandhar, and the semi-finals and final are in Mohali, both in India's Punjab.

When was India v Pakistan scheduled?

September reports listed it for 1 November in Jalandhar. On the official schedule, India play Malaysia on 1 November instead.

Can Pakistan still qualify for the 2028 Olympics in hockey?

Yes. The AHF confirmed on 6 October that Pakistan, as Asian Games bronze medallists, go to the FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments, due in early 2028.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 10 October 2026, about 5:45 am PKT. We read these official pages:

• Asian Hockey Federation, "Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026: Match Schedule Announced", listed on its news page on 9 October 2026, at asiahockey.org.
• Hockey India, "Match Schedule announced for Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026", New Delhi, 9 October 2026, at hockeyindia.org.
• Asian Hockey Federation, "India Secure Direct LA28 Qualification as Asian Teams Advance to Olympic Qualifiers", 6 October 2026.

The reasons for Pakistan's absence, and the reserve teams, come from press reports of 9 October and are marked as reported. The PKT start time is our conversion from India Standard Time.