Asian Games IND vs PAK: India booked their place in the men’s hockey final at the Asian Games 2026 after edging Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling semifinal at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan. The contest appeared to be firmly in India’s hands for much of the opening half. Harmanpreet Singh set the tone with goals in the fifth and 13th minutes before Sukhjeet Singh added another in the 23rd to put India 3-0 ahead.
Pakistan, however, refused to let the semifinal slip away.
Pakistan Produce Stunning Fightback
Just before half-time, Abu Mahmood pulled one back for Pakistan, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope despite India’s commanding advantage.
That goal proved to be the beginning of an extraordinary comeback.
India remained in control for large stretches after the interval, but Pakistan gradually found more openings and began putting sustained pressure on the Indian defence.
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Hannan Shahdi then reduced the deficit further before Waheed Rana completed Pakistan’s comeback, bringing the score level and turning the contest into a tense battle heading into the closing stages.
India Find Last-Gasp Winner
The final quarter became a frantic exchange, with both teams throwing numbers forward in search of the decisive goal.
India made a key change between the posts as the pressure mounted, while Pakistan continued to threaten on the counter.
The match seemed destined for an even more dramatic finish until India produced one final attacking move.
With barely any time remaining, Abhishek stepped up to score the winning goal and restore India’s lead in the very last minute of the match.
India’s 4-3 victory sends them into the Asian Games final. Notably, this is the first time since 1998 that the country’s men’s and women’s teams will contest for the hockey gold medal at the tournament.
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