Asian Games 2026: India beat Pakistan by 4-3 in thrilling hockey semifinal match, eyes gold

India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling men’s hockey semifinal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, October 1, securing their place in the gold-medal match. The defending champions held their nerve in a closely fought contest after Pakistan mounted a strong comeback in the second half.

India made a strong start to the semifinal and finished the opening quarter with a 2-0 advantage, putting Pakistan under early pressure. The Indian side continued to control the contest in the second quarter, adding another goal as they went into the latter stages with a three-goal cushion. Pakistan, however, refused to surrender and began their fightback.

READ THIS: Asian Games 2026: India wins gold in women’s 4x400m relay, opens athletics account at Nagoya

The scoreboard showed India leading 3-2 after the third quarter, setting up a tense final 15 minutes. Pakistan found another breakthrough in the fourth quarter to level the pressure, but India responded with the decisive goal to complete a 4-3 victory. The final quarter proved to be a high-intensity battle, with both sides pushing forward in search of the winning goal.

India continue unbeaten run

The victory extends India's impressive run against Pakistan. India entered the semifinal unbeaten in the Asian Games, having won all five of their Pool A matches. Their campaign included big victories over Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Bangladesh, while they defeated hosts Japan 2-0 in their closest pool-stage contest.

Pakistan, meanwhile, reached the semifinal after finishing second in Pool B. Their campaign had included wins over Thailand, Uzbekistan, China and Oman before a narrow 4-5 defeat to Malaysia pushed them into a semifinal meeting with India.

India were also forced to make a change before the knockout clash. Midfielder Raj Kumar Pal was ruled out after suffering a left-thumb fracture in the pool match against Bangladesh, with experienced midfielder Nilakanta Sharma brought into the squad as his replacement.

ALSO READ: Asian Games 2026: Indian women's compound archery team strikes gold, outwits China

India eye Asian Games gold

With the semifinal victory, India have advanced to the men's hockey final, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Malaysia and South Korea. The gold-medal match is scheduled for October 3.

The result also keeps India's campaign on course for another Asian Games title and a direct qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics