New Delhi, 1 October 2026: In the Asian Games, the Indian men's hockey team has entered the final by defeating its familiar rival Pakistan 4-3 in a very exciting semi-final match. India has made it to the Asian Games title contest for the second consecutive time. It is noteworthy that both Indian men's and women's hockey teams have reached the finals of the Asian Games this time.
India started putting pressure on Pakistan from the very first minute of the match. In the first quarter, captain Harmanpreet Singh scored two brilliant goals on the penalty corner in the 5th and 13th minutes to give India a 2-0 lead. Then, in the 23rd minute of the second quarter, Sukhjit Singh made the score 3-0 by scoring a field goal. However, at the end of the second quarter, in the 30th minute, Pakistan's Abu Mahmood scored a goal to make the score 3-1. The Indian team was leading 3-1 till half time.
Pakistan made a comeback in the game after half time. In the 45th minute of the third quarter, Hanan Shahide scored a field goal, while at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Waheed Rana scored a goal in the 49th minute to level the score at 3-3. India, which was once leading 3-0, came under immense pressure in the last minutes.
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Abhishek became a hero in the last seconds
When the match seemed to be heading towards a draw, just 69 seconds before the end of the match (60th minute), Abhishek's brilliant field goal Dadhi gave India a decisive lead of 4-3 and gave India the victory. The Indian hockey team has been invincible against Pakistan in the last 10 years. Out of the last 21 matches, India has won 19 while 2 matches have been drawn. If the Indian team wins the gold medal in the final, it will qualify directly for the 2028 Olympics.