CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: India beat Pakistan in final minute to reach hockey final
India entered the final of the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey event after defeating Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling semifinal.
India dominated from the start and at one stage had taken a 3-0 lead. Captain Harmanpreet Singh converted penalty corners in the fifth and 13th minutes to give India an early advantage. Sukhjeet Singh then scored a field goal in the 23rd minute to make it 3-0.
Pakistan then made a strong comeback and changed the course of the match. Abu Mahmood scored in the 30th minute, Hannan Shahid in the 45th minute and Waheed Rana in the 49th minute to level the score at 3-3. The pressure mounted on India, and the contest remained highly tense until the closing moments.
The decisive moment came just 49.2 seconds before the end of the match. Abhishek took a shot at goal, which deflected off the stick of a Pakistan defender and went into the net. With that goal, India took a 4-3 lead and held on until the final seconds to seal their place in the final. India will now face the winner of the second semifinal between South Korea and Malaysia in the final on October 3.
Hashtags: #Sports #Bhopal #DeskSource #India #Pakistan #AsianGames2026 #Hockey #MenSHockey #Semifinal #Final
