The Indian men’s hockey team secured a spot in the Asian Games 2026 final after edging out arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling semi-final in Nagoya on Thursday. Leading 3-0 through a brace from captain Harmanpreet Singh and a field goal by Sukhjeet Singh, India faced a spirited second-half fightback from Pakistan that leveled the score at 3-3. However, forward Abhishek struck a stunning field goal in the final minute of play to seal India’s victory. India now advance to the gold medal match on Sunday, where victory will also guarantee qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.
The victory keeps India on track to defend their continental title while bringing them within one win of securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. India established dominance early in the contest, going ahead in the 5th minute through a penalty corner conversion by skipper Harmanpreet Singh. Harmanpreet doubled India’s lead in the 13th minute with another drag flick, before forward Sukhjeet Singh capitalized on a slick move to extend the advantage to 3-0 in the 23rd minute. Pakistan opened their tally just before half-time when captain Abu Bakar Mahmood converted a penalty corner in the 30th minute. (India vs Pakistan Asian games 2026)
Pakistan mounted an aggressive comeback in the second half, capitalizing on a green card shown to India’s Dilpreet Singh. Strikes from Hanan Shahid in the 45th minute and Waheed Rana in the 49th minute drew Pakistan level at 3-3, setting up a tense finish.
India vs Pakistan Thrilling match result:
With the match tied entering the final minute of regulation time, India launched a decisive counter-attack. Abhishek collected the ball near the circle and struck a precise shot into the net, sealing India’s 4-3 victory with seconds remaining on the clock.
India will play the winner of the second semi-final between Malaysia and South Korea in Sunday’s gold medal match, where the champion will earn an automatic berth for the Los Angeles Olympics. Forward Abhishek scored the match-winning field goal in the 60th minute to give India a 4-3 victory over Pakistan. The winner of the Asian Games gold medal match secures an automatic qualification berth for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
