Highlights
- India beat Malaysia 5-1 in the men's final
- Harmanpreet Singh scored twice and finished as top scorer
- Victory secured India's place at the 2028 Olympics
- Both Indian teams won Asian Games hockey gold in the same edition for the first time
INDIA retained the Asian Games men's hockey gold medal with a 5-1 win over Malaysia on Saturday (3), securing a place at the 2028 Olympic Games.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice as India overcame a difficult first half to take control after the break and complete their second successive Asian Games title.
Harmanpreet scored in the 11th and 57th minutes, while Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh and Shilanand Lakra also found the net.
Malaysia's Shello Silverius briefly brought his side level in the 14th minute, but India restored their lead before half-time and pulled away in the second half.
India earned 14 penalty corners compared with two for Malaysia.
Harmanpreet leads the way
Harmanpreet's two goals took his tournament tally to 12, making him the competition's leading scorer.
His first came from a powerful drag-flick from India's second penalty corner in the 11th minute.
Harmanpreet Singh of India celebrates scoring the team's fifth goal from a penalty corner during the Hockey Men's Gold Medal match between India and Malaysia on day fourteen of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on October 03, 2026 in Kakamigahara, Gifu, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)
Jugraj then restored India's advantage in the 23rd minute, converting India's fourth penalty corner while Harmanpreet was off the field.
Hardik Singh extended India's lead in the 42nd minute from a penalty stroke after a Malaysian player was struck on the body during a penalty corner.
India continued to press and moved 4-1 ahead before Harmanpreet completed the scoring from another penalty corner in the 57th minute.
India were a much stronger side after half-time after struggling with mis-passes and poor trapping during the opening quarter.
Historic double for India
The men's victory came a day after India's women beat defending champions China 1-0 to win their first Asian Games women's hockey gold in 44 years.
Both teams have therefore won gold and secured Olympic qualification at the same edition of the Games for the first time.
India's men's team became only the second nation after Pakistan to win consecutive Asian Games hockey gold medals.
Harmanpreet also became the first Indian men's captain to lead the team to two Asian Games hockey titles.
For veteran Manpreet Singh, the victory was his third Asian Games gold, following India's titles in 2014 and 2022. He is India's most-capped men's player and the country's most successful player in terms of Asian Games hockey gold medals.
The men's title is India's fifth Asian Games hockey gold, following victories in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022.
(with inputs from agencies)
