India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey semifinal on October 1, with kickoff at 4:30 pm local time (07:30 GMT). The high-stakes encounter will take place at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan.
India entered the tournament as the reigning Asian Games champions and dominated their group stage campaign. Finishing atop Pool A with a perfect record, the Indian side delivered a series of convincing victories, including a 13-1 triumph over Indonesia, a 16-1 win against Sri Lanka, and an 8-2 victory over South Korea. They also secured a narrow 2-0 win over hosts Japan and a commanding 10-0 win over Bangladesh.
Pakistan, the most successful nation in Asian Games history with eight gold medals, advanced to the semifinals as runners-up in Pool B. Their path to this stage featured a 9-0 demolition of Japan, a 5-1 win over Uzbekistan, a 3-0 victory against China, and a 7-2 thrashing of Oman. However, their unbeaten run in the group stage ended with a 5-4 loss to group winners Malaysia.
This matchup marks the fourth meeting between the two South Asian rivals this year. India has won all three previous encounters, defeating Pakistan twice during the FIH Pro League in London and once in the group stage of the 2026 Hockey World Cup. Despite India’s recent dominance, Pakistan holds the historical edge at the Asian Games, with their last gold medal victory coming in 2010.
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