India Beat Pakistan 4-3 to Enter Asian Games Hockey Final
Oct 01, 2026
Agartala, Oct 1: India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 on Thursday to enter the final of the men's hockey competition at the Asian Games in Kakamigahara, Japan. Captain Harmanpreet gave India the lead with two well-executed penalty corner conversions in the 5th and 13th minutes. Sukhjeet Singh added a field goal in the 23rd minute to extend the advantage.
However, Pakistan fought back to keep the contest close, pushing the match to the wire. Abhishek eventually settled the issue for India, scoring the winning goal from a field effort in the final minute of the game. With the win, defending champions India secured their place in the final, where they will face the winner of the second semifinal between South Korea and Malaysia. The summit clash is scheduled for Saturday. Meanwhile, the Indian women's hockey team is also set to play in the final of their event, taking on China on Friday.
According to the results, this marks the first time since 1998 that both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams have reached the finals in the same edition of the Asian Games, a rare double for the country's hockey contingent. India will now look to defend their title in the men's category, having already shown their quality with a hard-fought win over a determined Pakistan side in the semifinal. The next few days will see both Indian teams aim to complete the historic double on the podium in Kakamigahara.
