NAGOYA, Japan: Pakistan concluded the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 with 10 medals, including two silver and eight bronze, recording the country’s best medal haul at the continental event since 2002.
The 2026 campaign represented a significant improvement on Pakistan’s recent Asian Games performances. The country won three medals in 2023, four in 2018, five in 2014 and eight in 2010.
The last time Pakistan won more than 10 medals was in 2002, when they secured 13 medals, including one gold, six silver and six bronze.
Pakistan’s 2026 campaign ended without a gold medal. The country’s two silver medals came in men’s cricket and men’s team squash, while the eight bronze medals were secured in women’s cricket, men’s hockey, men’s volleyball, men’s singles squash, modern MMA, shooting and esports.
Cricket accounted for two of Pakistan’s medals, with the men’s team finishing runners-up and the women’s side claiming bronze.
The men’s team reached the final after their rain-affected quarter-final against Hong Kong was washed out, with Pakistan progressing to the semi-finals on the basis of their superior ranking.
Pakistan then defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in the semi-final after the match was reduced to 13 overs per side. They chased down Bangladesh’s 111-7 in 11.3 overs, with Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz guiding Pakistan home and setting up a final against India.
In the gold medal match at Korogi Sports Park, India posted 211-6 after opting to bat first.
Pakistan made a strong attempt to chase the target but were restricted to 192-6, losing by 19 runs. Hasan Nawaz produced an outstanding 96 off 51 balls, including five fours and seven sixes, while Saim Ayub contributed 29.
Pakistan’s silver marked their return to the Asian Games cricket podium for the first time since 2014. The women’s team secured bronze by defeating Bangladesh by 31 runs in the third-place play-off.
Pakistan posted 145-8, with captain Fatima Sana leading the way with an unbeaten 45 off 30 balls. Bangladesh could manage only 114-7 in reply, with Umm-e-Hani taking 3-10 to help Pakistan secure their first Asian Games women’s cricket medal in 12 years.
Squash was Pakistan’s most productive sport at the Asian Games, contributing three medals, including one silver and two bronze.
Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan both secured bronze medals in the men’s singles event after reaching the semi-finals. Their medals were followed by a silver from Pakistan’s men’s team.
Pakistan’s team reached the gold medal match but lost 2-0 to Malaysia. Ameeshenraj Chandaran defeated Nasir Iqbal 3-1 before Eain Yow Ng defeated Noor Zaman 3-2 in a closely fought encounter.
The three medals made squash Pakistan’s most successful sport at Aichi Nagoya.
Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team produced one of the most significant achievements of the campaign by ending a 64-year wait for an Asian Games volleyball medal.
Pakistan defeated India 3-0 in the quarter-final before losing 3-0 to defending champions Iran in the semi-final. They bounced back emphatically in the bronze medal match, defeating China 3-0, with set scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-18.
Murad Khan led Pakistan with 18 points, while Afaq Khan and Ali Usman Faryad contributed 14 points each. The bronze was Pakistan’s first Asian Games volleyball medal since the 1962 Jakarta Games.
Pakistan’s men’s hockey team also ended a long medal drought, securing bronze after a dramatic 5-3 victory over South Korea in the third-place match.
The Green Shirts initially found themselves in trouble after South Korea turned a 1-1 scoreline into a 3-1 lead. Pakistan, however, staged a remarkable second-half comeback.
Abdul Rehman reduced the deficit before Rana Waheed scored twice to put Pakistan ahead. Hannan Shahid then added a fifth goal in the 59th minute to complete the comeback.
The victory returned Pakistan to the Asian Games hockey podium for the first time since 2014. Pakistan had earlier suffered a 4-3 defeat to India in the semi-final despite fighting back from three goals down.
Veteran shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir secured Pakistan’s first shooting medal of the Games by winning bronze in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event.
Bashir qualified for the eight-man final in sixth position with 578 points and 19 inner tens before producing a composed performance in the final to finish third. His medal added shooting to Pakistan’s list of medal-winning sports at Aichi Nagoya.
Pakistan also secured a bronze medal through Asim Khan in men’s modern MMA. Khan reached the semi-final of the men’s 60kg competition, guaranteeing Pakistan a medal before losing his last-four contest 3-0 to Tajikistan’s Mirzobek Umarov.
The result gave Pakistan a medal in MMA and further broadened the country’s medal-winning sports at the Games.
Pakistan’s PUBG Mobile team 4Thrives also made history by winning bronze in the esports competition. The five-member team finished third in the 12-match competition with 100 points.
Thailand won gold with 128 points, while China secured silver with 114. Pakistan scored 39 points on the opening day before producing a strong second-day performance that yielded 61 points.
Pakistan finished third in the final match as well, collecting 12 points, including four placement points and eight elimination points.
Pakistan’s 10-medal haul provided several reasons for optimism despite the absence of gold.
The women’s cricket team returned to the podium after 12 years, men’s cricket won its first Asian Games medal since 2014, hockey ended a 12-year medal drought, while volleyball finally returned to the podium after 64 years.
Squash once again proved to be a dependable source of medals, while shooting, MMA and esports demonstrated that Pakistan’s medal-winning potential extends beyond its traditional strengths.
