Nagoya, October 3,2026: Pakistan staged a remarkable comeback to defeat South Korea 5–3 and secure the bronze medal in the men’s hockey competition at the 2026 Asian Games at Kawasaki Juko Stadium on Saturday.
Pakistan made a bright start, with Sufyan Khan opening the scoring in the fourth minute. South Korea responded in the 12th minute when Gangsan Lee equalised to leave the teams level at 1–1 at the end of the first quarter.
South Korea took control in the second quarter, with Yongbok Kim scoring in the 18th minute before Jihun Yang extended the lead to 3–1 in the 25th minute.
Pakistan reduced the deficit through Abdul Rehman in the 30th minute, going into the interval 3–2 down.
Neither side could score in the third quarter despite Pakistan earning three penalty corners compared to one for South Korea.
Pakistan completed their comeback in the final quarter. Rana Waheed Ashraf equalised in the 52nd minute before scoring again just two minutes later to put Pakistan ahead 4–3.
Hannan Shahid then sealed the bronze medal for Pakistan by scoring in the 59th minute.
Pakistan had finished second in Pool B with four wins and one defeat to qualify for the semi-finals, where they suffered a 4–3 defeat to India before bouncing back against South Korea in the bronze-medal match.
Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan defeated China 3–0, with captain Abubakar Mahmood, Hannan Shahid and Sufyan Khan finding the net.
Pakistan began their campaign with a 9–0 victory over Thailand before defeating Uzbekistan 5–1. Their winning run was halted by a 5–4 defeat to Malaysia, but they responded with a commanding 7–2 win over Oman to secure their place in the semi-finals.
The bronze medal adds to Pakistan’s strong showing in the men’s hockey competition at the Asian Games, with the team producing a series of convincing performances on their way to the podium.
