RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian men’s field hockey team has officially booked its place at the Asian Games 2026 following a 1-0 victory over host nation Thailand in the final qualification match at the Royal Thai Air Force Hockey Field, Bangkok, on Monday, April 6, 2026.

The breakthrough came in the 12th minute when Aulia Al Ardh scored the only goal of the match, sealing Indonesia’s spot in the semifinals of the qualification phase and ensuring their ticket to the continental tournament, Antara reported.

Under the guidance of coach Muhammad Dhaarma Raj, Indonesia completed all four of their qualification fixtures with three wins and one loss. The team previously defeated Hong Kong 4-3, fell to Oman 1-4, and overcame Kazakhstan 4-3.

The latest victory guarantees Indonesia a top-two finish in Pool A, securing their place among the six teams advancing to the Asian Games. Indonesia currently sits second in the standings with nine points, level with Oman, who edged Hong Kong 2-1 earlier the same day. Hong Kong trails in third with three points, while Thailand and Kazakhstan each have one point.

Indonesia is the only team in Pool A to have completed all four matches, while the remaining sides still have one game left to play on Tuesday, April 7. Oman will face Kazakhstan, while Thailand meets Hong Kong. In Pool B, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan have already secured qualification with six and four points respectively, followed by Bangladesh and Taiwan.

From the 10 nations competing in qualification, only six will progress to the Asian Games. The third- and fourth-placed teams from each pool will battle for the final two slots.

The Asian Games 2026 will be staged in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. For Indonesia, the qualification marks a significant achievement, reinforcing their growing presence in Asian field hockey and setting the stage for a competitive campaign later this year. ***