Asian Games 2026: India beats Japan 2-0 to seal semifinal berth men's hockey
The Indian men's hockey team secured a 2-0 victory against Japan at the 2026 Asian Games, maintaining their unbeaten streak and advancing to the semifinals. Despite the win, the coach expressed concerns regarding the team's low conversion rate on penalty corners.
Why it matters
The Asian Games are a major international sporting event, and India's performance in hockey is a significant point of national pride.
Defending champions India advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Games men's hockey competition after defeating hosts Japan 2-0 in a hard-fought pool A contest on Saturday (September 26, 2026).
India had earlier thrashed Indonesia 13-1, Sri Lanka 16-1 and South Korea 8-2 in their opening three pool matches. The win over Japan was their fourth consecutive in the event, continuing an unbeaten run.
India will take on Bangladesh in their final pool match on September 28, which they are expected to win handsomely.
Against Japan, Abhishek (15th minute) scored from a field effort while skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the 40th minute.
It was a pulsating first two quarters where Japan matched India stick-for-stick with their aggressive play but the defending champions went into the breather with a slender one goal lead.
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