India Trail Pakistan in Volleyball Quarterfinal Clash as Arch-Rivals Battle in Nagoya

UPDATE - follow-up to Asian Games 2026 LIVE Updates, Day 13: India-Pakistan in volleyball soon; IND in action in Sepaktakraw: Pakistan holds a 21-19 lead over India in their men's volleyball quarterfinal match after capitalizing on five straight points from Indian errors.

Match Updates

Pakistan pulled ahead to 15-11 earlier in the set following rookie mistakes from the Indian side, including a backcourt player stepping into the front court. Setter Abu Bakar Siddique made a key difference for Pakistan after coming off the bench, while Hamad has been a strong presence on the nets and the team has successfully limited Indian captain Jerome Vinith to just one point in six attempts. Ashwal Rai has stood out as India's top spiker and point-scorer through service, alongside Benjamin Joel's strong play in the second set, prompting coach Dragan Mihailovic to call a timeout and issue stern words to the team.

Context

The men's volleyball team entered this quarterfinal meeting against higher-ranked Pakistan after remaining undefeated with three group stage victories, which included a thrilling comeback win from two sets down against Qatar.

Background