RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian men’s field hockey team revived its qualification hopes for the 2026 Asian Games with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Kazakhstan in Bangkok, Thailand, bouncing back from an earlier defeat and staying in contention for a semifinal spot.

The win came in a Pool A match of the Asian Games 2026 qualifiers at the Royal Thai Air Force Hockey Field on Sunday, April 5, 2026, following Indonesia’s 1-4 loss to Oman on Friday, April 3. Earlier, the team had opened its campaign with a 4-3 victory over Hong Kong on Thursday, April 2.

Against Kazakhstan, Indonesia started aggressively, with Ahdan Asasi scoring in the sixth minute to give the team an early lead. He doubled the advantage nine minutes later, before Prastyo extended the lead to 3-0 in the 31st minute, Antara reported.

Kazakhstan responded through Yerkebulan Dyussebekov in the 44th minute, but Indonesia quickly restored control as Khaerulloh Akmal added a fourth goal on the counterattack.

Despite trailing, Kazakhstan mounted a late comeback attempt, with Agymtay Duisengazy scoring twice in the closing stages to narrow the gap.

The victory matched head coach Muhammad Dhaarma Raj’s target of winning the final two matches in the group stage. Indonesia now faces host Thailand on Monday, April 6, in its last Pool A match.

To secure direct qualification for the 2026 Asian Games, Indonesia must finish in the top two of the pool, which would also guarantee a place in the qualification semifinals.

The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. ***