Pakistan defeated India 3-0 in the men’s volleyball quarter-final at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, securing a place in the semi-finals with a dominant straight-sets victory.
Pakistan won the opening set 25-19 before taking a closely contested second set 25-23. The team then completed the victory by winning the third set 25-18, finishing the match in around 80 minutes.
Murad Khan was Pakistan’s leading performer, scoring 22 points, including 21 from spikes and one through service. Usman Faryad Ali added nine points, Mohammad Hamad contributed eight, while Musawer Khan scored seven.
Pakistan’s attacking strength proved decisive throughout the match. The team recorded 50 points through spikes, compared with India’s 33, while Pakistan also secured six points from blocks against India’s four.
The victory marked another significant result for Pakistan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and ended India’s campaign in the men’s volleyball competition. Pakistan had entered the knockout stage after winning against Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before losing to hosts Japan in their final pool match.
The semi-final qualification also comes after Pakistan’s strong performance in the preliminary stage. The team defeated Kazakhstan 3-1 in its opening match before registering a straight-sets victory over Uzbekistan.
The win came against the backdrop of concerns raised by Pakistan volleyball captain Murad Jehan regarding logistical arrangements at the Asian Games. Earlier, Jehan said the team’s bus had taken the wrong route to the venue ahead of an important match, leaving players with limited time to warm up.
He also raised concerns about food availability for athletes following training sessions and described the situation as disappointing.
Despite those concerns, Pakistan delivered a strong performance against India to move into the last four of the men’s volleyball competition. The semi-finals are scheduled to be played on October 2, according to the official competition schedule.
