The Indian men’s hockey team will begin its title defence at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after being drawn in a six-team Pool A alongside Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
India, the highest-ranked team in the 12-team competition, have been kept apart from arch-rivals Pakistan, who have been placed in Pool B alongside Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan and Thailand.
The men’s hockey tournament will be played from September 18 to October 3, with the competition also serving as an important qualification pathway for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
India placed in Pool A
Defending champions India will face five opponents in the pool stage, with each team playing every other side in its group.
India will open their campaign against Indonesia on September 20 before taking on Sri Lanka two days later. The defending champions will then face South Korea, Japan and Bangladesh in their remaining pool matches.
The top teams will progress to the knockout and classification stages, with the semi-finals scheduled for October 1 and the medal matches on October 3.
Men’s Hockey at Asian Games 2026
Pool A: India, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia
Pool B: Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan, Thailand
India begin campaign against Indonesia
India’s first match of the tournament will be against Indonesia on September 20 at 4:30 PM IST.
The defending champions will then meet Sri Lanka on September 22 before facing South Korea on September 24. Their fourth pool match will be against Japan on September 26, followed by the final group-stage fixture against Bangladesh on September 28.
The clash against South Korea could prove particularly important in determining India’s position in Pool A, while the meeting against Japan will also provide a significant test before the knockout stage.
Pakistan kept separate from India
The draw means India and Pakistan will not meet during the pool stage.
Pakistan will begin its campaign against Thailand on September 20 and will subsequently face Uzbekistan, China, Malaysia and Oman.
The arch-rivals could still meet later in the competition if their respective performances take them into the knockout stages.
Asian Games hockey doubles as Olympic qualification route
The Aichi-Nagoya hockey competition carries added significance as the tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
That makes every stage of the competition important for the participating teams, with India aiming not only to retain its Asian Games crown but also to secure its place at the next Olympics.
The Indian team will therefore be under pressure to negotiate a competitive pool before entering the knockout phase.
Knockout stage begins on October 1
The pool matches will conclude on September 28, after which the tournament moves into the classification and semi-final stages.
Two semi-finals are scheduled for October 1 at 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM IST. The classification matches will also be played on the same day.
The medal matches will take place on October 3, with the bronze-medal match scheduled for 6:30 PM IST before the gold-medal clash at 9:00 PM.
The final will decide the men’s hockey champion at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Hockey Schedule |
All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST). |
Date |
Match |
Time (IST) |
Stage |
18/09/26 |
China vs Oman |
10:30:00 |
Pool B |
18/09/26 |
South Korea vs Bangladesh |
12:30:00 |
Pool A |
20/09/26 |
Malaysia vs Uzbekistan |
14:30:00 |
Pool B |
20/09/26 |
India vs Indonesia |
16:30:00 |
Pool A |
20/09/26 |
Japan vs Sri Lanka |
18:30:00 |
Pool A |
20/09/26 |
Pakistan vs Thailand |
20:30:00 |
Pool B |
22/09/26 |
Pakistan vs Uzbekistan |
10:30:00 |
Pool B |
22/09/26 |
Indonesia vs South Korea |
12:30:00 |
Pool A |
22/09/26 |
Thailand vs China |
14:30:00 |
Pool B |
22/09/26 |
Malaysia vs Oman |
16:30:00 |
Pool B |
22/09/26 |
Japan vs Bangladesh |
18:30:00 |
Pool A |
22/09/26 |
India vs Sri Lanka |
20:30:00 |
Pool A |
24/09/26 |
Thailand vs Malaysia |
10:30:00 |
Pool B |
24/09/26 |
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka |
12:30:00 |
Pool A |
24/09/26 |
Oman vs Uzbekistan |
12:30:00 |
Pool B |
24/09/26 |
South Korea vs India |
16:30:00 |
Pool A |
24/09/26 |
Indonesia vs Japan |
18:30:00 |
Pool A |
24/09/26 |
China vs Pakistan |
20:30:00 |
Pool B |
26/09/26 |
Oman vs Thailand |
10:30:00 |
Pool B |
26/09/26 |
Bangladesh vs Indonesia |
12:30:00 |
Pool A |
26/09/26 |
Malaysia vs Pakistan |
14:30:00 |
Pool B |
26/09/26 |
Sri Lanka vs South Korea |
16:30:00 |
Pool A |
26/09/26 |
Japan vs India |
18:30:00 |
Pool A |
26/09/26 |
Uzbekistan vs China |
20:30:00 |
Pool B |
28/09/26 |
China vs Malaysia |
10:30:00 |
Pool B |
28/09/26 |
Sri Lanka vs Indonesia |
12:30:00 |
Pool A |
28/09/26 |
Uzbekistan vs Thailand |
14:30:00 |
Pool B |
28/09/26 |
Pakistan vs Oman |
16:30:00 |
Pool B |
28/09/26 |
Korea vs Japan |
18:30:00 |
Pool A |
28/09/26 |
India vs Bangladesh |
20:30:00 |
Pool A |
01/10/26 |
Classification match |
11:00:00 |
Classification |
01/10/26 |
Classification match |
13:30:00 |
Classification |
01/10/26 |
Classification match |
16:00:00 |
Classification |
01/10/26 |
Semi-final 1 |
18:30:00 |
Semi-final |
01/10/26 |
Semi-final 2 |
21:00:00 |
Semi-final |
03/10/26 |
9th/10th-place match |
11:00:00 |
Classification |
03/10/26 |
7th/8th-place match |
13:30:00 |
Classification |
03/10/26 |
5th/6th-place match |
16:00:00 |
Classification |
03/10/26 |
Bronze-medal match |
18:30:00 |
Medal match |
03/10/26 |
Gold-medal match |
21:00:00 |
Final |
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Hockey: Schedule, Live Telecast and Streaming Details
When will the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey tournament begin?
The men’s hockey competition at the Asian Games 2026 will begin on Friday, September 18, in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The tournament will continue until October 3, when the gold-medal match will be played.
When will India start their campaign in the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey tournament?
India will begin their campaign against Indonesia on Sunday, September 20. The match is scheduled to start at 4:30 PM IST.
Who are India’s opponents in the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey group stage?
India have been placed in Pool A alongside Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
When will India play Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey tournament?
India and Pakistan have been placed in separate pools, meaning they will not meet in the group stage. India are in Pool A, while Pakistan are in Pool B. The arch-rivals could face each other in the knockout stages depending on their performances.
When will the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey final be played?
The gold-medal match will be played on Saturday, October 3. It is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM IST.
Where will the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey matches be played?
The men’s hockey tournament will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as part of the 2026 Asian Games.
Where can viewers watch the live telecast of Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey matches in India?
The live telecast details for the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey matches in India will be available on the Sony Sports network.
Where can viewers watch the live streaming of Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey matches in India?
The official live-streaming for the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey tournament in India will be available on SonyLIV.
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