1 October 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : India’s campaign at the 2026 Asian Games saw mixed results on Day 13, October 1, as the men’s volleyball team suffered a 0-3 defeat against Pakistan in the quarter-final, while India’s men’s and women’s squash teams competed in their respective semi-finals. The day also featured crucial fixtures in cricket, hockey, archery, shooting, wrestling and several other disciplines.
The India-Pakistan men’s volleyball quarter-final was one of the first major clashes involving the Indian contingent on Thursday. Pakistan defeated India in straight sets to secure a place in the semi-finals and bring India’s men’s volleyball campaign to an end. The match was scheduled as a quarter-final, with the winners advancing to the last four. The volleyball semi-finals are scheduled for October 2.
The defeat was particularly disappointing for India after the team had progressed through the pool stage and entered the knockout round with hopes of reaching the medal rounds. Pakistan controlled the contest and completed a 3-0 victory, continuing its strong record against India in recent major men’s volleyball meetings.
The volleyball result was followed closely by India’s action in squash. The Indian women’s team faced Hong Kong, China, in the team semi-final, while the men’s team took on Malaysia in its semi-final. Both matches were important medal-stage contests, with India looking to secure places in the respective gold-medal matches.
India’s women’s squash team had entered the semi-final after progressing through the earlier stages of the team competition. The side had also recorded a 3-0 victory over China during the tournament. The men’s team similarly reached the knockout stages after strong performances in the pool phase, including a 3-0 win over China.
The squash semi-finals were part of a packed schedule for the Indian contingent. The women’s semi-final against Hong Kong was scheduled for the morning, while the men’s semi-final against Malaysia was listed for the afternoon. The results and individual game scores were closely followed as Indian players battled for places in the finals.
Cricket was another major focus on Day 13. India’s men’s cricket team faced Sri Lanka in the second semi-final of the Asian Games T20 competition. India reached the last four after its quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain. The higher-seeded Indian side advanced under the tournament rules. Sri Lanka also reached the semi-finals after its quarter-final was affected by rain.
The Indian men’s hockey team also had a high-profile semi-final scheduled against Pakistan. The match was set for 1 pm IST, making it another major India-Pakistan contest on a day already marked by the volleyball quarter-final. India entered the hockey semi-final after a strong pool-stage campaign, with a place in the gold-medal match at stake.
India’s individual medal hopes were also spread across several sports. In compound archery, Chikitha Taniparthi competed in the women’s individual quarter-final, while Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru was scheduled to compete in the men’s individual quarter-final. Both archers had already contributed to India’s strong performance in the team events.
Shooting provided another potential medal opportunity, with Anish Bhanwala competing in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol qualification. If he advanced through the qualification stage, he was scheduled to compete in the individual final later in the day.
Wrestling also featured several Indian athletes. Aman competed in the men’s Greco-Roman 77kg category, while Mansi was scheduled to compete in the women’s 62kg competition. Sumit and Nitesh were also involved in Greco-Roman events, with their respective bouts carrying implications for progression toward the medal rounds.
Track cycling, canoe slalom, rugby sevens, sailing, sport climbing, judo, taekwondo and golf added further Indian participation to the day’s schedule. The breadth of India’s involvement underlined the importance of Day 13 as the Games moved deeper into their final stages.
The volleyball defeat against Pakistan nevertheless stood out as an early setback for India. The men’s team had entered the knockout stage hoping to challenge for a medal, but the straight-sets loss meant its campaign would not progress to the semi-finals. Pakistan, meanwhile, advanced to the last four.
The contrasting fortunes across sports reflected the demanding nature of the Asian Games, where team competitions can produce decisive results within a single match while individual sports provide multiple opportunities for athletes to progress.
For Indian fans, attention then shifted toward the squash semi-finals, the cricket clash against Sri Lanka and the much-anticipated hockey semi-final against Pakistan. The hockey encounter was particularly significant because it offered India another opportunity to reach an Asian Games final in a team sport.
India had already enjoyed a strong run of results in the preceding days, including several gold medals in archery and shooting. The country’s athletes therefore entered Day 13 with multiple medal opportunities despite the volleyball setback.
The October 1 schedule demonstrated the variety of India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. While the men’s volleyball team exited after losing to Pakistan, Indian athletes remained involved in several medal contests across squash, cricket, hockey, archery, shooting, wrestling and other disciplines.
As the competition moves toward its closing stages, the focus will increasingly shift to athletes and teams competing for medals. India’s results on Day 13 will contribute to the country’s overall medal tally and determine which teams and athletes remain in contention for gold, silver and bronze in the final days of the Games.