Asian Games: India retain hockey gold, beat Malaysia 5-1 to seal LA 2028 Olympic berth

Mangalore Today News Network

Kakamigahara (Japan), October 3, 2026: India retained their Asian Games men’s hockey title after defeating Malaysia 5-1 in the final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Saturday, securing a direct qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The victory marked a historic milestone as India became the first team to win successive Asian Games men’s hockey gold medals.

It was a double celebration for Indian hockey, with the women’s team earlier defeating defending champions and Olympic silver medallists China 1-0 in the final. Lalremsiami scored the decisive goal in the 10th minute, ending India’s 44-year wait for an Asian Games women’s hockey gold.

Both Indian teams entered their respective finals after hard-fought semifinal victories.

The men’s team had appeared to be in control after taking a 3-0 lead against Pakistan, but their opponents mounted a strong comeback to level the score at 3-3. With the match heading towards a shootout, Abhishek scored in the final minute of regulation time to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory for India.

Malaysia also faced a tough semifinal against South Korea before securing a narrow 2-1 win to book their place in the final.

The triumph also saw Harmanpreet Singh become the first Indian men’s hockey captain to lead the team to two consecutive Asian Games gold medals.

Veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh, meanwhile, became the only Indian hockey player to win three Asian Games gold medals, having previously been part of the title-winning teams in 2014 and 2023.

With the Asian Games gold and a direct Olympic qualification berth at stake, India overcame the pressure to successfully defend their title in Japan.