Coming Up: Japan–India Maitri Golf Cup 2026 to Celebrate 74 Years of Friendship
This invitation-only November 28 event, part of the ongoing Japan Month, will bring together diplomatic, government, and business communities ahead of a larger 75th-anniversary edition in 2027.
New Delhi: A shared passion for golf will provide the setting for strengthening India–Japan friendship this November, as diplomats, senior government officials, business leaders and community representatives are expected to come together for the Japan–India Maitri Golf Cup 2026. The one-day commemorative event is planned for Saturday, November 28, in Delhi-NCR, marking the 74th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
The annual flagship initiative will also look ahead to a landmark year in the bilateral relationship. ACN plans to organise a larger Japan–India Maitri Golf Cup in 2027 to commemorate the 75th anniversary, with this year’s gathering serving as a precursor to that celebration.
To be organised and hosted by Asian Community News (ACN) Network, the proposed 2026 event is supported by the Embassy of Japan, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India (JCCII), ASSOCHAM (plan), and Aju Group of Japanese Hotels. It forms part of Japan Month, the Japanese government’s annual programme in India, bringing a sporting and community dimension to the wider celebration of ties between the two countries.
Non-commercial in nature and “By Invitation Only,” the tournament aims to strengthen bilateral friendship through personal interaction. Its central purpose is to bring Indian and Japanese participants closer, encouraging mutual understanding and goodwill through time spent together beyond formal diplomatic and professional engagements.
The anticipated participants include ambassadors and other diplomats, senior government officials and bureaucrats, community representatives, and business leaders from India and Japan. The proposed gathering will offer an informal setting for conversations across these groups, with golf providing a common interest around which new acquaintances and longstanding relationships can develop.
For ACN Network, the November event will continue a series of diplomatic and commemorative golf initiatives connecting expatriate communities, Indian officials and business leaders. Earlier editions have marked significant anniversaries in India’s relations with Japan and South Korea, combining sporting participation with opportunities for personal exchange.
A notable milestone was the India–Japan 70th Anniversary Friendship Golf Cup, held in Gurugram on October 9, 2022. This tournament brought together 108 participants, including 70 Japanese participants drawn from diplomatic and corporate circles. Supported by the Embassy of Japan, JCCII and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), it provided a commemorative platform during the 70th-anniversary year.
The Japan–India Maitri Golf Cup editions in 2024 and 2025 continued ACN’s engagement with the Indian and Japanese communities. The 2025 tournament, held on October 25 in Gurugram as a Japan Month edition, had Reliance MET City as its title sponsor. It was supported by the Embassy of Japan, JCCII and AJU, with FICCI as the industry partner, and brought diplomats together with business leaders.
Across its earlier events, ACN’s golfing programme has also drawn senior Japanese diplomatic representatives and Union government officials, including those from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. This participation has given the gatherings a wider role as meeting points for people working in diplomacy, government, industry and community affairs.
The proposed 2026 edition seeks to build on that experience while keeping friendship at the centre of the occasion. For Japanese expatriates and corporate representatives, it will offer an opportunity to engage with Indian counterparts in a relaxed environment. For participants from both countries, the shared sporting experience is intended to encourage connections that continue beyond the day’s play.
Looking ahead, ACN envisages the 2027 commemorative edition as a larger gathering reflecting the significance of 75 years of India–Japan diplomatic relations. The November 2026 cup will connect its established annual golfing tradition with that forthcoming milestone, placing people-to-people engagement alongside the formal celebration of bilateral ties.
