Just 20 days after the end of the Men’s Hockey World Cup, Asia’s leading teams will be back in action at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The stakes are considerably higher than another continental medal because the highest-placed eligible team at the Asian Games will qualify directly for the LA 2028 Olympics.
Men’s hockey has been part of the Asian Games since 1958, and Pakistan remain the competition’s most successful team with eight gold medals. India arrive as defending champions after winning the Hangzhou Asian Games and will be looking for a fifth men’s hockey gold.
The tournament features 12 teams divided into two pools of six. India, Japan, Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia make up Pool A, while Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan and Thailand have been drawn in Pool B.
None of the leading Asian teams arrive after a particularly good World Cup. India went into the tournament with expectations of challenging for a semifinal place and eventually finished eighth, Pakistan finished 11th, Japan 14th, while Malaysia ended the tournament in 16th and last place. Korea, once one of the major powers of Asian hockey, did not qualify for the World Cup at all.
The teams that did represent Asia struggled to make a serious impact, which adds another layer to this Asian Games. With an Olympic place available to the winner, the tournament gives the continent’s leading sides an immediate opportunity to respond after a disappointing World Cup.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Hockey Pools
| Pool A | Pool B |
| India | Pakistan |
| Japan | Malaysia |
| Korea | China |
| Bangladesh | Oman |
| Sri Lanka | Uzbekistan |
| Indonesia | Thailand |
India and Japan start as the favourites to take the two semifinal places from Pool A. Korea make the group more interesting, with the former Asian hockey powerhouse looking for a stronger international result after missing the World Cup.
The key stretch comes late in the pool stage. India face Korea on 24 September and Japan on 26 September, before Korea and Japan meet on 28 September. Those matches could determine both semifinal qualification and which team finishes top of Pool A.
Read More: What Explains India’s World Cup Collapse? The Case for Pressure
Pakistan and Malaysia would be expected to lead the semifinal race in Pool B, with China capable of playing spoilsport. China face Pakistan on 24 September, Malaysia meet Pakistan two days later, and China then play Malaysia on the final pool day.
Those three matches should give Pool B most of its shape. Oman, Uzbekistan and Thailand complete the group and could still influence the standings if any of the expected contenders drop points.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Hockey Pool-Stage Schedule
India’s fixtures are highlighted in bold.
| Date | Match | Local Time | India Time |
| 18 Sep | China vs Oman | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 18 Sep | Korea vs Bangladesh | 11:00 | 07:30 |
| 20 Sep | Malaysia vs Uzbekistan | 13:00 | 09:30 |
| 20 Sep | India vs Indonesia | 15:00 | 11:30 |
| 20 Sep | Japan vs Sri Lanka | 17:00 | 13:30 |
| 20 Sep | Pakistan vs Thailand | 19:00 | 15:30 |
| 22 Sep | Pakistan vs Uzbekistan | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 22 Sep | Indonesia vs Korea | 11:00 | 07:30 |
| 22 Sep | Thailand vs China | 13:00 | 09:30 |
| 22 Sep | Malaysia vs Oman | 15:00 | 11:30 |
| 22 Sep | Japan vs Bangladesh | 17:00 | 13:30 |
| 22 Sep | India vs Sri Lanka | 19:00 | 15:30 |
| 24 Sep | Thailand vs Malaysia | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 24 Sep | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | 11:00 | 07:30 |
| 24 Sep | Oman vs Uzbekistan | 13:00 | 09:30 |
| 24 Sep | Korea vs India | 15:00 | 11:30 |
| 24 Sep | Indonesia vs Japan | 17:00 | 13:30 |
| 24 Sep | China vs Pakistan | 19:00 | 15:30 |
| 26 Sep | Oman vs Thailand | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 26 Sep | Bangladesh vs Indonesia | 11:00 | 07:30 |
| 26 Sep | Malaysia vs Pakistan | 13:00 | 09:30 |
| 26 Sep | Sri Lanka vs Korea | 15:00 | 11:30 |
| 26 Sep | Japan vs India | 17:00 | 13:30 |
| 26 Sep | Uzbekistan vs China | 19:00 | 15:30 |
| 28 Sep | China vs Malaysia | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 28 Sep | Sri Lanka vs Indonesia | 11:00 | 07:30 |
| 28 Sep | Uzbekistan vs Thailand | 13:00 | 09:30 |
| 28 Sep | Pakistan vs Oman | 15:00 | 11:30 |
| 28 Sep | Korea vs Japan | 17:00 | 13:30 |
| 28 Sep | India vs Bangladesh | 19:00 | 15:30 |
India begin their title defence against Indonesia on 20 September before facing Sri Lanka two days later. The tougher part of the pool schedule then arrives with Korea and Japan in consecutive matches, followed by Bangladesh on the final day.
Pool play ends on 28 September, followed by a rest day on 29 September. The women’s classification matches are played on 30 September before the men return for their classification and semifinal matches on 1 October.
How the Classification Matches Work
The top two teams from each pool qualify for the semifinals. The winner of Pool A faces the runner-up from Pool B, while the Pool B winner meets the second-placed team from Pool A.
Finishing outside the top two does not end a team’s tournament because the remaining eight sides move into classification matches. The teams finishing sixth in their pools play directly for 11th and 12th place, while the two fifth-placed teams later meet in the ninth-place match.
Third and fourth place follow a crossover system. Third in Pool A plays fourth in Pool B, while third in Pool B meets fourth in Pool A, with the two winners progressing to the fifth-place match and the losers playing for seventh.
Asian Games 2026 Classification, Semifinals and Medal Schedule
| Date | Match | Local Time | India Time |
| 1 Oct | 11th/12th: 6th Pool A vs 6th Pool B | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 1 Oct | 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool B | 11:30 | 08:00 |
| 1 Oct | 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool A | 14:00 | 10:30 |
| 1 Oct | Semifinal: 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B | 16:30 | 13:00 |
| 1 Oct | Semifinal: 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool A | 19:00 | 15:30 |
| 3 Oct | 9th/10th: 5th Pool A vs 5th Pool B | 09:00 | 05:30 |
| 3 Oct | 7th/8th place | 11:30 | 08:00 |
| 3 Oct | 5th/6th place | 14:00 | 10:30 |
| 3 Oct | Bronze-medal match | 16:30 | 13:00 |
| 3 Oct | Gold-medal match | 19:00 | 15:30 |
The semifinal winners will return on 3 October for the gold-medal match, scheduled for 19:00 local time and 15:30 in India. The bronze-medal match takes place earlier in the day at 16:30 local time.
Read More: Craig Fulton’s World Cup Problem: Where Was India’s Plan B?
The official competition schedule notes that match timings, session allocations and classification fixtures remain subject to final approval. Broadcast requirements, venue operations and weather contingency planning could still result in changes.
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