India edge Pakistan 4-3 in Asian Games hockey semi-final thriller

The men's hockey semi-final between India and Pakistan at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya on 1 October 2026 produced one of the tournament's great games. Captain Harmanpreet Singh fired India into a two-goal lead with strikes in the 5th and 13th minutes, and Sukhjeet Singh made it 3-0 after 23 minutes. Pakistan refused to fold: Abu Mahmood pulled one back on the stroke of half-time, Hannan Shahid levelled it to 3-2 in the 45th minute and Waheed Rana made it 3-3 in the 49th. With a penalty shoot-out looming, Abhishek pounced in the final minute of regulation to win it 4-3. The victory sent defending champions India into the Asian Games final and ensured that both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams would contest a final at the same Asian Games for the first time since 1998. It was also one of the day's most-clicked stories on Olympics.com and in the Indian sports press.