India Beat Japan 2-0 to Enter Asian Games Hockey Semi-finals

Kakamigahara: Defending champions India secured their place in the men’s hockey semi-finals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 after defeating hosts Japan 2-0 in a rain-soaked Pool A encounter here on Saturday.

The victory was India’s fourth consecutive win in the pool, with goals from Abhishek and captain Harmanpreet Singh sealing a hard-fought victory against a determined Japanese side.

India started on the offensive and created several opportunities in the opening quarter, including early penalty corners. Japan, however, responded with quick counter-attacks and tested the Indian defence and goalkeeper Suraj Karkera.

After a closely contested opening phase, India finally broke the deadlock in the 15th minute. Abhishek found space at the top of the circle and made the most of the opportunity, sending the ball past Japanese goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa to give India a 1-0 lead.

Japan continued to defend compactly after the restart and looked for opportunities on the counter. The hosts earned penalty corners but India’s defence stood firm, with Karkera making crucial interventions to preserve the lead.

India had their share of chances but were unable to add to their advantage before half-time. The defending champions went into the break with a narrow 1-0 lead.

Japan continued to threaten in the third quarter, but India remained composed under pressure. A Japanese penalty corner in the 36th minute produced another opportunity, but Karkera and the Indian defence combined to keep the hosts from scoring.

India eventually doubled their lead in the 40th minute. From their sixth penalty corner, Harmanpreet produced a powerful flick into the left corner of the Japanese goal, leaving Yoshikawa with no chance.

The hosts continued to push in the final quarter, while India looked to manage the game and create openings of their own. Japan’s late attempts failed to breach the Indian defence, while India also earned several penalty corners but could not convert them.

Japan came close to creating a final opportunity in the 58th minute, but the effort went across the face of goal as India comfortably saw out the remaining minutes.

The 2-0 victory confirmed India’s semi-final berth, with one Pool A match against Bangladesh still remaining on September 28.

The match was also a milestone occasion for Indian defender Sanjay, who completed 100 senior international appearances for India. The 25-year-old was part of the team that won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and has since contributed to India’s Olympic bronze at Paris 2024 and other major international successes.

Despite persistent rain throughout the day in the Gifu region, both teams maintained a high tempo, with Japan making the defending champions work hard for their fourth successive victory.