KAKAMIGAHARA, Japan, October 1 (Nazrana Times): India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a dramatic men’s hockey semi-final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, securing a place in the gold-medal match. 

India appeared to be cruising towards victory after building a commanding 3-0 lead, with captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring twice and Sukhjeet Singh adding another goal. Pakistan, however, produced an impressive comeback and scored three unanswered goals to level the contest at 3-3. 

With the match heading towards a tense finish, Abhishek delivered the decisive moment in the final minute. His attempt took a deflection off Pakistan’s Sufiyan Khan and went into the goal with around 49 seconds remaining, giving India a 4-3 advantage. Pakistan could not find another equaliser before the final hooter. 

The defeat ended Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the gold-medal match, although the team will now compete for the bronze medal. India, the defending Asian Games champions, will contest the final on October 3 against the winner of the other semi-final between Malaysia and South Korea.