Aichi-Nagoya, October 1: India’s men’s volleyball campaign at the Asian Games 2026 came to an end with a straight-set defeat against Pakistan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
India went down 0-3 (19-25, 23-25, 18-25) against Pakistan at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, as their opponents produced a clinical performance to secure a place in the semifinals.
India had entered the knockout stage unbeaten after an impressive run in Pool C. The team opened with successive 3-0 wins over Vietnam and Hong Kong before pulling off a remarkable comeback against Qatar, recovering from two sets down to win 3-2.
However, Pakistan started strongly in the quarterfinal and took control of the opening set. India struggled to match their opponents’ attacking efficiency and eventually conceded the first set 19-25.
The second set saw India put up a stronger fight. India even held a 19-16 lead, but Pakistan fought back at the crucial stage and edged the set 25-23 to move within one set of victory.
Pakistan maintained the momentum in the third set and closed out the match 25-18, completing a 3-0 victory and ending India’s campaign.
The statistics reflected Pakistan’s superiority at the net. They registered 50 successful spikes from 83 attempts, compared with India’s 33 from 81. Pakistan also had the edge in blocks and digs.
For India, the defeat brought an end to a campaign that had shown considerable promise, particularly after their comeback victory over Qatar in the group stage.
Pakistan, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinals, while India were eliminated from the men’s volleyball competition.
India’s players and their Pakistani counterparts also shook hands at the net after the match, marking the end of the contest in a sporting gesture.
Result: Pakistan beat India 3-0
Sets: 25-19, 25-23, 25-18
Venue: Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, Aichi-Nagoya
Stage: Men’s Volleyball Quarterfinal
