India explode in 2nd half, crush Malaysia 5-1 to retain Asian Games gold; seal LA28 spot
India had never won successive Asian Games gold medals, making Saturday's final an opportunity to create history. Harmanpreet Singh-led India made the most of it as they successfully defended their title.
India's Asian Games 2026 campaign concluded on a high note, with the men's hockey team securing a decisive 5-1 victory over Malaysia in the final. This win marked India's 21st gold medal at the Asian Games, bringing their overall medal count to 85 and securing another top-five finish at the quadrennial event. India's medal tally comprised 21 golds, 27 silvers, and 37 bronzes.
This year, India had won seven fewer gold medals compared to the 2022 Hangzhou Games, where they had crossed the 100-medal milestone for the first time. Early in the Aichi-Nagoya campaign, India was positioned outside the top 10 in the medal table with just 10 gold medals. However, the last two days saw a remarkable turnaround, with the hockey and cricket teams adding gold medals, and notable performances in archery, boxing, and wrestling.
This surge of 11 gold medals pushed India into the top five, concluding the Games with a strong finish.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- 21 Gold, 27 Silver & 37 Bronze: India's medal frenzy at Asian Games ends with a bang timesofindia.indiatimes.com
