Nagoya, October 4, 2026: Pakistan concluded their campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi Nagoya 2026 with 10 medals, including two silver and eight bronze, recording the country’s best medal haul at the continental event since 2002.
Pakistan’s 2026 performance marked a significant improvement over their recent Asian Games campaigns. The country won three medals in 2023, four in 2018, five in 2014 and eight in 2010.
Pakistan last won more than 10 medals in 2002, when they secured 13 medals, including one gold, six silver and six bronze.
The 2026 campaign, however, ended without a gold medal. The two silver medals came in men’s cricket and men’s team squash, while the eight bronze medals were won in women’s cricket, men’s hockey, men’s volleyball, men’s singles squash, modern MMA, shooting and esports.
Cricket returns to podium
Cricket contributed two medals to Pakistan’s tally, with the men’s team winning silver and the women’s side claiming bronze.
The men advanced to the final after their rain-affected quarter-final against Hong Kong was washed out, with Pakistan progressing to the semi-finals on the basis of their superior ranking.
Pakistan then defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-shortened semi-final, chasing down a target of 112 in 11.3 overs to set up a final against India.
In the gold medal match at Korogi Sports Park, India posted 211-6 after opting to bat first, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma remaining unbeaten on 51 off 22.
Pakistan fought hard in the chase but were restricted to 192-6, losing by 19 runs. Hasan Nawaz top-scored with an outstanding 96 off 51 balls, including five fours and seven sixes, while Saim Ayub contributed 29.
The silver marked Pakistan’s return to the Asian Games cricket podium for the first time since 2014.
The women’s team defeated Bangladesh by 31 runs in the bronze medal play-off. Pakistan posted 145-8, with captain Fatima Sana scoring an unbeaten 45 off 30 balls, before Umm-e-Hani’s 3-10 helped restrict Bangladesh to 114-7.
It was Pakistan’s first Asian Games women’s cricket medal in 12 years.
Squash leads medal-winning sports
Squash emerged as Pakistan’s most successful sport at Aichi Nagoya, contributing three medals — one silver and two bronze.
Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan won bronze medals in men’s singles after reaching the semi-finals.
Pakistan’s men’s team then secured silver after reaching the gold medal match, where they lost 2-0 to Malaysia. Ameeshenraj Chandaran defeated Nasir Iqbal 3-1 before Eain Yow Ng edged Noor Zaman 3-2.
Volleyball ends 64-year wait
Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team ended a 64-year wait for an Asian Games medal with a commanding bronze-medal victory over China.
Pakistan defeated India 3-0 in the quarter-final before losing 3-0 to defending champions Iran in the semi-final.
They responded emphatically in the bronze-medal match, beating China 3-0 with set scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-18.
Murad Khan led Pakistan with 18 points, while Afaq Khan and Ali Usman Faryad added 14 points each.
The bronze was Pakistan’s first Asian Games volleyball medal since the 1962 Jakarta Games.
Hockey returns to podium
Pakistan’s men’s hockey team also ended a long medal drought, securing bronze after a dramatic 5-3 victory over South Korea in the third-place match.
South Korea turned a 1-1 scoreline into a 3-1 lead, but Pakistan produced a remarkable second-half comeback.
Abdul Rehman reduced the deficit before Rana Waheed scored twice to put Pakistan ahead. Hannan Shahid added a fifth goal in the 59th minute to seal the victory.
The result returned Pakistan to the Asian Games hockey podium for the first time since 2014. Pakistan had earlier suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat to India in the semi-final despite fighting back from three goals down.
Shooting, MMA and esports add medals
Veteran shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir won Pakistan’s first shooting medal of the Games, taking bronze in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event.
Bashir qualified for the eight-man final in sixth position with 578 points and 19 inner tens before producing a composed performance to finish third.
Pakistan also secured a bronze through Asim Khan in men’s modern MMA. Khan reached the semi-final of the men’s 60kg competition before losing 3-0 to Tajikistan’s Mirzobek Umarov.
In esports, Pakistan’s PUBG Mobile team 4Thrives won bronze after finishing third in the 12-match competition with 100 points.
Thailand won gold with 128 points, while China took silver with 114.
Signs of revival
Pakistan’s 10-medal haul offered several positive signs despite the absence of a gold medal.
The women’s cricket team returned to the podium after 12 years, men’s cricket won an Asian Games medal for the first time since 2014, hockey ended a 12-year medal drought and volleyball returned to the podium after 64 years.
Squash remained a dependable source of medals, while shooting, MMA and esports showed that Pakistan’s medal-winning potential is expanding beyond its traditional strengths.
There were also missed opportunities. The men’s cricket team lost the final to India, hockey narrowly missed out on the gold-medal match, while volleyball went down to Iran in the semi-final before recovering to beat China for bronze.
Overall, the 10-medal haul represented Pakistan’s strongest Asian Games performance in 24 years and provided fresh momentum ahead of future continental competitions.
