India Hand South Korea Their Biggest-Ever Asian Games Hockey Defeat, Win 8-2

Defending champions India delivered their most emphatic performance of the Asian Games 2026 hockey competition on Thursday, thrashing South Korea 8-2 in a Pool A fixture to record their best-ever margin of victory against the Koreans at the event and hand the four-time champions their first defeat of the pool stage.

A dominant start

India took control from the opening minutes at the venue in Kakamigahara, with Shilanand Lakra breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute for the Hangzhou Games champions. Sukhjeet Singh doubled the lead soon after, and captain Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner to make it 3-0 before the first quarter was out. A well-worked move finished by Abhishek, set up by Manpreet's aerial pass and Lakra's lay-off, put India 4-0 ahead at the end of the opening period.

Piling on the pressure

India kept up the intensity through the second quarter, with Dilpreet Singh getting on the scoresheet in the 26th minute after a passing move involving Abhishek and Mandeep to make it 5-0 at half-time. The rout continued after the break: Dilpreet completed his brace in the 32nd minute off a pass from Hardik, and Abhishek notched his second in the 38th minute after Raj Kumar's effort rattled the crossbar, stretching India's lead to 7-0.

South Korea managed to avoid a shutout in the third quarter, with Jae Ho Kim pulling one back in the 42nd minute. The Koreans added a second through Yong Bok Kim in the final quarter after capitalising on a defensive lapse, but India had the last word when Rajinder Singh converted a late penalty corner to seal the 8-2 scoreline.

What it means

The win keeps India firmly on top of Pool A after three straight victories in the group stage and puts them in a strong position heading into the knockout phase. For South Korea, who have won the men's hockey gold at the Asian Games on multiple occasions including as recently as 2006, the defeat is their first setback of this year's pool stage and a reminder of the gap that has opened up against the reigning champions.

India will next take on hosts Japan on Saturday in their final Pool A assignment, a game that is likely to decide seeding heading into the medal rounds. With India also fielding strong campaigns across several other disciplines at these Games, Thursday's hockey result adds to a growing medal push that will be closely watched back home over the coming days.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.