India beat Malaysia 5-1 to win fifth Asian Games men's hockey gold and qualify for LA 2028

The Indian men's hockey team won the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. In the final played at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Saturday (October 3), India beat Malaysia 5-1. With the win, India took their fifth Asian Games men's hockey gold and also qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

India's gold medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games now stands at 21. This is the first time both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams have won gold at the same Asian Games. The Indian women's hockey team had already won gold on Friday and secured a place at the LA 2028 Olympics.

India played aggressively in the final from the start. They went 1-0 up with a goal in the 11th minute, but Malaysia scored in the 14th minute to level the match at 1-1. India regained control in the second quarter. A goal from Gurjant Singh in the 23rd minute put India 2-1 ahead. Malaysia did not get much of a chance to come back after that.

In the third quarter, Hardik Singh scored in the 42nd minute to make it 3-1. In the fourth quarter, the Indian players increased the pressure on Malaysia. Sheilanand Lakra's goal in the 54th minute made it 4-1. Captain Harmanpreet Singh then scored in the 57th minute to seal the 5-1 win. The final score was India 5, Malaysia 1.

The win allowed India to retain the title they won at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. This is the Indian men's hockey team's fifth Asian Games gold. India had earlier won gold at Bangkok in 1966, Bangkok in 1998, Incheon in 2014 and Hangzhou in 2023.

India dominated the tournament from the start. In Pool A, they beat Indonesia 13-1, Sri Lanka 16-1, South Korea 8-2, Japan 2-0 and Bangladesh 10-0 to reach the knockout stage. In the semi-final, Pakistan gave India a tough fight, but India won a thrilling match 4-3 to reach the final.

Malaysia's run was also impressive. In Pool B, they beat Uzbekistan 7-0, Oman 7-0 and Thailand 10-0, and also recorded a 5-4 win over Pakistan. In the semi-final, they beat South Korea 2-1 to reach the final. But in the gold medal match, the Indian team did not let Malaysia dominate. With the 5-1 win, India secured the gold medal, the defence of their title and qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.