Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 1 (ANI): Indian men’s hockey team players expressed confidence ahead of the men’s final at the Asian Games 2026 after they defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling semi-final on Thursday.
In the semi-final match, India took a 3-0 lead against Pakistan through two penalty-corner goals from Harmanpreet Singh and a Sukhjeet Singh field goal. Pakistan fought back with goals from Abu Baker, Hannan Shahid and Waheed Rana to level the match at 3-3. India eventually sealed a thrilling 4-3 win with 50 seconds remaining when Abhishek's effort deflected off a Pakistan stick and went into the net, sending the defending champions into the Asian Games men's hockey final.
Meanwhile, in the other semifinal clash, Malaysia defeated South Korea to reach the finals and set up a clash against India.
Speaking with ANI after the thrilling clash, forward Sukhjeet Singh said India stuck to its strategy, focus and basics against Pakistan, while trusting each other to make the most of their chances in the attacking circle. He added that the team is fully prepared and ready to fight for the gold medal.
“We're feeling really good right now, especially since we had a semifinal against Pakistan. We just stuck to our strategy, focus, and basics. We trusted each other that whatever chance we got in the D, we'd either get PCs or hit goals on the field. We're fully prepared for gold. We're completely ready as a team right now for gold,” he said.
Forward Mandeep Singh said India will remember the thrilling win over Pakistan, praising the team's belief and strong finish. He acknowledged that Pakistan fought back after India’s 3-0 lead, but said the team stayed focused until the final whistle. Mandeep added that reaching the final brings a different feeling and said India will trust each other and remain focused on winning the gold medal.
“Absolutely, this is a day we'll remember because it was a great match. Pakistan put up a good fight too, and we ended on a strong note. We believed in our team, and we scored right up until the final whistle. Abhishek scored a great goal, and we've finally made it to the finals. This will be remembered by everyone. We had a good 3-0 lead, then it became 3-1. Our first two quarters were going well, but in the third and fourth quarters, our structure had a slight problem, which allowed them to score goals; still, until the last whistle, we scored and won the match,” he said.
“Playing for a gold medal is a different feeling when you reach the final. It's just that whichever team comes, whether it's Korea or Malaysia, we believe in each other and have trust. And this will remain: whenever the whistle starts and when the whistle stops, our focus will be to fully concentrate and win the final,” he added.
Defender Jarmanpreet Singh said reaching the final was a great feeling after India secured an important win over Pakistan. He highlighted the tournament’s significance for Olympic qualification and said the team will now focus on the final, with a chance to create history by winning back-to-back gold medals for the first time.
“It's a great feeling because winning this match was very important for us, and we have reached the finals by winning the match; this is the biggest thing. This event is quite important for us to qualify for the Olympics, and if we win a medal tomorrow, it will be history that we have won two gold medals back-to-back, and it will be the first time this happens. So I think we will focus on the next match now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sanjay said the match was tough, but India fought until the final minute to secure a 4-3 win over Pakistan. He stressed the importance of not giving up and continuing to fight, saying such determination can help the team achieve a favourable result.
“Today's match was quite tough, and yes, we fought back and came back to win the match 4-3. This was very important. Sometimes it happens in the same final that the score becomes three-three and then there is a three-two score, but the important thing is that you don't give up on the match and keep fighting till the last minute. If you keep fighting like this, then yes, the score will always work out in your favour,” he said. (ANI)
“Fully prepared for gold”: India hockey players confident ahead of Asian Games final after thrilling Pakistan win
