Pakistan beat India 3-0 to reach Asian Games volleyball semifinal

NAGOYA: Pakistan produced a commanding performance against arch-rivals India to secure a place in the men’s volleyball semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games, winning their quarterfinal in straight sets on Thursday.

Pakistan controlled the contest at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, defeating India 25-19, 25-23 and 25-18 to end their opponents’ campaign and keep their own medal hopes alive. The match lasted around 80 minutes.

The opening set immediately set the tone. Pakistan’s attack proved difficult for India to contain as the Green Shirts quickly established control and closed out the set 25-19.

India responded strongly in the second set and pushed Pakistan throughout. The two sides remained close, with India at one stage opening a three-point advantage. Pakistan, however, fought back at crucial moments before taking the set 25-23.

The third set was more straightforward for Pakistan. They built an early lead and continued to extend the gap as India struggled to maintain the same attacking pressure. Pakistan eventually reached match point and completed the victory with a 25-18 third-set win.

Murad Khan was among Pakistan’s leading performers. While reports differed slightly on the scoring breakdown, he was consistently identified as a key attacking force. Officially reported match figures cited by Dawn put Murad on 22 points, while other reports based on the team’s statistics listed him with 19 points, including 18 successful spikes.

Pakistan also enjoyed a significant advantage in attacking efficiency. One statistical report credited the team with 50 successful spikes from 83 attempts, compared with India’s 33 successful spikes from 81 attempts.

The result was particularly significant given India had entered the knockout stage unbeaten, while Pakistan had finished second in their pool after victories over Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and a defeat against hosts Japan.

With the quarterfinal victory, Pakistan advanced to the Asian Games men’s volleyball semifinals. Their next opponent will be determined by the quarterfinal between South Korea and defending champions Iran.

The win keeps Pakistan firmly in contention for a volleyball medal as the Asian Games move into their decisive stages.