India's men's hockey team booked its place in the Asian Games 2026 final after beating arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling semi-final on Thursday.
The victory has taken India into its 14th men's hockey final in Asian Games history. India have won the gold medal four times, while they have finished runners-up on nine occasions.
India's first Asian Games hockey final came at the inaugural men's hockey competition at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, where they won the silver medal. They also finished runners-up in 1962 before finally winning their first Asian Games hockey gold in 1966 in Bangkok.
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India then reached the final in each of the next four editions — 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982 — but finished with silver medals on all three occasions.
After missing out on the final in 1986, India returned to the title clash in 1990 and 1994, finishing runners-up both times. The wait for another gold ended in 1998, when India won the men's hockey title in Bangkok after beating South Korea.
India reached the final again in 2002 but had to settle for silver. The team then went through a difficult phase in the competition, winning bronze in 2010 after finishing outside the final four in 2006.
The turnaround came in 2014 when India won its third Asian Games gold in Incheon by beating arch-rivals Pakistan. However, the team could only manage bronze in 2018 before returning to the top in 2023, when India defeated Japan 5-1 to win the title.
India's Asian Games Men's Hockey Medal Record
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1958 | Silver |
| 1962 | Silver |
| 1966 | Gold |
| 1970 | Silver |
| 1974 | Silver |
| 1978 | Silver |
| 1982 | Silver |
| 1986 | Bronze |
| 1990 | Silver |
| 1994 | Silver |
| 1998 | Gold |
| 2002 | Silver |
| 2010 | Bronze |
| 2014 | Gold |
| 2018 | Bronze |
| 2023 | Gold |
| *2026 (Ongoing) | Finalist |
???????????????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????! ????????????
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 1, 2026
India beat Pakistan 4-3, thanks to a last-minute goal in a nail-biting Asian Games 2026 semi-final, to book a place in the final and keep their title defence alive! ????⚡
The Indian Men's Team now stand just one win away… pic.twitter.com/J8vmZzR8K1
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The women's team also reached the Asian Games final on Wednesday and will now face China for the gold medal.
With this victory, India extended its unbeaten run against Pakistan to 21 matches. It is also the first time since 1998 that both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams have reached the Asian Games final.
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