Asian Games Hockey Semifinal: India Beat Pakistan 4-3 to Reach Gold Medal Final

India defeated Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling men’s hockey semifinal at the Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, booking their place in the gold-medal match. India looked in control after taking a strong early lead, but Pakistan made a big comeback and levelled the match at 3-3. Abhishek then scored the decisive goal in the final moments to send India into the final.

The match was played at a high pace, with both teams creating chances and putting pressure on each other. India held their nerve in the closing stages and secured an important win in one of the biggest rivalries in Asian hockey.

Harmanpreet Singh Gives India Strong Start

India started the semifinal with confidence and put Pakistan under pressure from the beginning. Captain Harmanpreet Singh played a key role in the first half, scoring two goals through penalty corners.

Harmanpreet’s goals helped India build an early advantage. Pakistan tried to respond, but India continued to attack and created several opportunities inside the circle.

Sukhjeet Singh also found the net for India, helping the team move further ahead. India went into the later stages of the match with a 3-1 advantage and appeared to be in a strong position.

Pakistan Makes Strong Comeback

Pakistan, however, refused to give up. The team increased the pressure on India and began creating more chances. Pakistan scored twice to bring the match level at 3-3.

The comeback made the semifinal much more exciting as both teams fought for the winning goal. India had to defend carefully while also looking for opportunities to attack.

The final quarter became tense, with both sides knowing that one goal could decide the match. India continued to push forward despite Pakistan’s strong challenge.

Abhishek Scores Late Winner

India finally got the breakthrough in the closing moments of the match. Abhishek scored a field goal to put India ahead 4-3.

Pakistan tried to find another equaliser after conceding the goal, but the Indian defence managed to hold on. The final whistle confirmed India’s 4-3 victory and sent the team into the Asian Games gold-medal final.

The victory was especially important because of the long-standing rivalry between India and Pakistan in hockey. The two teams have produced several close matches over the years, and Thursday’s semifinal was another intense contest.

• India defeated Pakistan 4-3 in the men’s hockey semifinal.
• Harmanpreet Singh scored two goals for India.
• Sukhjeet Singh and Abhishek scored one goal each.
• Pakistan came back from behind to make the score 3-3.
• Abhishek scored the decisive late goal to send India into the final.
• India will now play for the gold medal in the men’s hockey final.

India’s performance also continued its strong campaign at the Asian Games. The team had finished at the top of Pool A after winning all five of its pool matches.

Before the semifinal, India had beaten Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan and Bangladesh in the group stage. The team carried that unbeaten form into the knockout stage and overcame Pakistan in another closely fought match.

With the semifinal victory, India have now secured at least a silver medal in men’s hockey. The team will now turn its attention to the final, where it will look to finish the campaign with the gold medal.

The gold-medal match will now be the biggest challenge for the Indian team at the tournament. India will aim to carry the confidence from this semifinal into the final and complete its Asian Games campaign with a gold.