Indian Hockey Teams Aim for Gold at Asian Games 2026

Hockey India President Celebrates Men's Team Success

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) - On October 2, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his congratulations to the Indian men's hockey team for their remarkable achievement in reaching the Asian Games 2026 final after a narrow victory over Pakistan. He also extended his best wishes to both the men's and women's teams as they strive for direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Following India's exhilarating 4-3 semifinal win against Pakistan, Tirkey commended the team's resilience and expressed confidence that both teams would conclude their Asian Games journeys with gold medals.

The match was a thrilling encounter, with India initially taking a 3-1 lead in the first half. However, the score was later equalized at 3-3. In a dramatic finish, India scored the decisive fourth goal in the final moments of the game. The women's team has also shown exceptional performance at the Asian Games, and Tirkey conveyed his belief in their capabilities, wishing both teams success in their Olympic qualification efforts.

The defending champions started strong against Pakistan, with captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring two penalty-corner goals to give India a 2-0 lead in the first quarter. Sukhjeet Singh further increased the lead in the 24th minute, but Pakistan fought back with goals from Abu Baker, Hannan Shahid, and Waheed Rana, leveling the match at 3-3.

As the match approached its conclusion, India managed to secure the winning goal with just 50 seconds left on the clock. Abhishek's shot was initially blocked, but the ball deflected off a Pakistan stick and found the net, ensuring India's place in the final.

India will compete against the winner of the second semifinal between Malaysia and South Korea for the men's gold medal on Saturday.

Tirkey also acknowledged the Indian women's team, who had already advanced to the final after defeating South Korea 2-0 in their semifinal. After a scoreless first half, Ishika broke the deadlock late in the third quarter, followed by captain Salima Tete scoring a second goal in the final quarter, propelling India into the title match against defending champions China.

China secured their spot in the final by defeating hosts Japan 4-2 in a shootout after a goalless draw in regulation time.

Both Indian teams are now in pursuit of Asian Games gold medals, which would also provide their respective National Olympic Committees with a direct qualification quota for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The men's final is set for Saturday, while the women's gold-medal match against China will take place on Friday.