Asian Games 2026: India to face Pakistan in men's volleyball quarter-finals; Know date & timing
(Courtesy : X)
India will face Pakistan on Thursday.
India and Pakistan will meet in the men’s volleyball quarter-finals at the Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, October 1. The match is set for 6:30 AM IST. The winner moves into the semi-finals, and the loser will be eliminated.
The pairing was fixed on Tuesday. India topped Pool C with three wins from three games. Pakistan finished second in Pool A after a 3-0 loss to hosts Japan, who will now face Qatar. All four quarter-finals are on Thursday.
India’s last pool match was their hardest. They lost the first two sets to Qatar, 26-28 and 25-27, then won 25-23, 25-20 and 24-22 in 167 minutes. Qatar reached match point first, at 14-13 in the decider. India saved nine match points in all before earning their own first.
A point was replayed after a review found infringements on both sides of the net. Jerome Vinith scored 27 points, all from spikes. Amit Singh Balwan added 24 and Joel Benjamin Jebaraj 17. Earlier, India beat Vietnam and Hong Kong, both 3-0.
Pakistan comes into this match with a better ranking, 39th against India’s 49th, and a 3-0 win over India at the 2022 Asian Games. They beat Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before losing 27-29, 20-25, 22-25 to Japan. They led the opening set by five points in that match, but their reception faltered, and Japan came back.
RELATED: Asian Games 2026 – India beat Qatar in epic comeback to enter volleyball quarter-finals
India vs Pakistan: Recent numbers in rivalry?
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
When India and Pakistan meet across a volleyball net, the whole gymnasium seems to hold its breath.
Recently, the story has revolved around Pakistan. They beat India 3-1 at the 2018 Jakarta Games and swept them 3-0 at Hangzhou 2022, and they arrive ranked No. 39, nine places higher. India remember those losses well.
But this India is unbeaten in Aichi-Nagoya, and they came back from two sets down against Qatar to win in five, proof of a team that refuses to fold.
There is old history here too. At Jakarta 1962, India won silver and Pakistan bronze, two neighbours standing together on the same podium
When will India and Pakistan play in the men’s volleyball quarter-finals at the Asian Games 2026?
They play on Thursday, 1 October, at 6:30 AM IST. All four quarter-finals are on that day. The winner goes into the semi-finals, and the loser is out.
How did the Indian men’s volleyball team reach the quarter-finals at the Asian Games 2026?
India won Pool C with three wins from three games. They beat Vietnam 3-0 and Hong Kong China 3-0, then came back from two sets down to beat Qatar 3-2 (26-28, 25-27, 25-23, 25-20, 24-22). They saved nine match points in that match, which lasted 167 minutes.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram