India defend Asian Games hockey gold, beat Malaysia 5-1 in final to qualify for LA28

In the final match of the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, India's men's hockey team defeated Malaysia 5-1, securing the gold medal and defending their Asian title for the first time ever. This victory also guaranteed India's qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This was India's fifth gold medal at the Asian Games, with the 2026 edition marking the first instance where both the men's and women's Indian teams won gold together.

The women's team had previously won their first gold medal in 44 years by defeating China. India's journey to the championship began with a thrilling semifinal victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, with Harmanpreet Singh leading the charge. In the final match, India took an early lead through a Harmanpreet penalty corner conversion, only for Malaysia to respond quickly within three minutes.

However, India swiftly regained the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a penalty corner scored by Hardik Singh. The team's dominance continued as they scored another penalty stroke in the fourth quarter, with Hardik Singh converting it to make the final score 5-1 in India's favor. This triumph marked India's 21st gold medal at the Asian Games, boosting their position to fourth in the medal tally and surpassing Uzbekistan.