India and Pakistan clash in hockey semifinal with Olympic berth and final spot on the line
India and Pakistan are facing off today in the men's hockey semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the winner earning direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The two nations also meet in the cricket gold-medal final on Saturday.
Hockey semifinal carries final spot and Olympic qualification
India and Pakistan are meeting in the men's hockey semifinal of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on October 1, with the match starting at 1 PM IST, according to The Times of India. The stakes extend well beyond a place in the gold-medal match: the winner secures direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Defending champions India went through the pool stage unbeaten, winning all five Pool A matches: 13-1 against Indonesia, 16-1 against Sri Lanka, 8-2 against South Korea (India's biggest-ever Asian Games win over the Koreans), 2-0 against hosts Japan, and 10-0 against Bangladesh. Dilpreet Singh leads the team's scoring with nine goals, while Abhishek and captain Harmanpreet Singh have eight each. Harmanpreet's penalty-corner drag-flicks are seen as a key attacking weapon.
However, India will be without midfielder Raj Kumar Pal, who suffered a left thumb fracture in the final pool match. Nilakanta Sharma has replaced him in the squad, with head coach Craig Fulton pointing to his Olympic and World Cup experience as valuable for the occasion.
Pakistan reached the semifinal after finishing second in Pool B, having lost 4-5 to Malaysia in their final group match, while earlier beating Thailand 9-0, Uzbekistan 5-1, China 3-0 and Oman 7-2. Sufiyan Khan leads the tournament's scoring charts with 11 goals and poses a particular threat from penalty corners. India have not lost to Pakistan since the 2016 South Asian Games final.
A second India-Pakistan contest looms in cricket
The two countries are also set to meet in the men's cricket gold-medal final on Saturday. India thrashed Sri Lanka by 124 runs in their cricket semifinal, posting 169/7 before bowling Sri Lanka out for just 45 in 9.5 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma starring with the ball. Pakistan advanced to the final by beating Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-truncated semifinal.
