Lights, bhangra, action: Inside Punjab's enduring love affair with hockey

Detailed summary

A lot of glitz and glamour was present on hockey's return to Punjab and a few uncomfortable truths as well. The Asian Champions Trophy took me on a journey through Punjab's hockey heart, where India's triumph was only part of a much bigger story about the sport's past, present and future.

When the assignment of covering the Asian Champions Trophy in Jalandhar and Mohali came up, it was an opportunity I jumped at. Unlike my previous assignment during the Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, this was one I genuinely looked forward to.For me, it was like one of the episodes of my favourite show, Top Gear, where Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May went in search of the source of the River Nile, which they…

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