Asian Games: India men defend hockey gold for the first time with stellar 5-1 win, qualify for LA 2028
Kakamigahara, Oct 3 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) With their best-ever score in a final, the Indian men’s hockey team ended its Asian Games 2026 campaign in Japan on a historic note by retaining its crown — a second consecutive Asian Games gold — with an emphatic 5-1 win over Malaysia at Kakamigahara, Japan, in the final.
It’s the first time that India have successfully defended its Asian Games hockey gold medal, which also makes Harmanpreet Singh the first Indian captain to lead the team to two gold medals in the continental event. Overall, it’s India’s fifth gold in Asian Games men’s hockey – adding to the top-place finishes in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2023.
The men’s team’s gold-medal win makes it the best-ever Asian Games performance for India, which ended up winning both the men’s and women’s hockey gold medals for the first time in the same edition of the Asian Games.
The 5-1 margin of victory is also India’s joint biggest in an Asian Games final, equaling their 5-1 win over Japan in Hangzhou three years ago.
Adding to the list of records created, star playmaker Manpreet Singh won his third Asian Games gold medal – becoming the only Indian hockey player to do so.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh led from the front in the final, contributing to India’s scoreline with a brace. His fellow drag-flicker and defender Jugraj Singh joined him on the scoresheet, followed by Hardik Singh, who converted a penalty stroke, and Shilanand Lakra, who hit a field goal. For Malaysia, Shello Silverius raised hopes by making it 1-1, but India controlled proceedings and put the game beyond Malaysia’s reach.
Malaysia began cautiously, clearly wary of conceding an early goal, while both teams relied heavily on aerial balls to gain territory in the opening exchanges. The midfield lacked its usual fluidity, with neither side able to establish sustained control.
India came close in the fifth minute when Harmanpreet intercepted a Malaysian move and helped initiate an attack. Vivek Sagar Prasad had time to aim at a tight angle, but his reverse-stick attempt sailed over the crossbar. A minute later, Malaysia’s two deep defenders denied Dilpreet Singh an opportunity from close range.
India eventually broke the deadlock in the 11th minute. Harmanpreet found Hardik Singh on the right flank with a long slap-push, and Hardik quickly set up Abhishek, who earned India their first of 14 penalty corners. After the initial attempt resulted in a re-take, Harmanpreet stepped up and fired a low drag-flick straight through the centre to beat goalkeeper Zaimi Deris Mat and make it 1-0.
Malaysia, however, responded almost immediately. Shello Silverius controlled a scoop pass into the Indian circle and struck on the volley to beat Suraj Karkera, restoring parity at 1-1 in the 14th minute. India nearly regained the lead moments later, but Dilpreet’s tomahawk was palmed away by Deris Mat.
Malaysia earned a penalty corner early in the second quarter following a turnover, and goalkeeper Mohith HS, who replaced Karkera, made an important save by blocking a close-range effort with his body. Malaysia secured another PC through a successful video referral, but Faizal Saari’s flick struck Manpreet Singh’s foot. India survived the ensuing re-take.
In the 23rd minute, Jugraj Singh took responsibility on a penalty corner while Harmanpreet was off the pitch and unleashed a powerful drag-flick into the corner to restore India’s lead at 2-1.
Malaysia pressed for an equaliser before half-time, but India’s defence held firm.
India continued to attack after the break, using the right flank effectively, with Hardik Singh and Jarmanpreet Singh trying to set up Indian attackers in the Malaysian circle, but it didn’t bring the desired results.
Their pressure eventually produced another major opening in the 42nd minute. Sanjay created a penalty corner, and a variation attempted by Harmanpreet and Mandeep Singh ended up in a deflection hitting the Malaysian defender’s body on the goal line. The resulting penalty stroke was protested by Malaysia with a video referral, but it proved unsuccessful, and Hardik Singh coolly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 3-1.
India entered the final quarter with a two-goal cushion and continued attacking. Rajinder Singh came close in the 50th minute, while a prolonged penalty-corner sequence two minutes later saw India repeatedly test the Malaysian defence.
The pressure finally paid off in the 54th minute. Shilanand Lakra combined brilliantly with Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh before finishing from close range to make it 4-1 and put the result firmly beyond Malaysia’s reach.
India then added the finishing touch in the 57th minute. Awarded another penalty corner, Harmanpreet came up and unleashed his drag-flick past the Malaysian defence for his second goal of the match, sealing a comprehensive 5-1 victory.
After a closely contested first half, India’s control, attacking pressure and efficiency in the decisive moments carried them to a historic Asian Games gold medal.
This is the fifth time that India have won a gold medal in the Asian Games, bagging the top spot on the podium in 1966, 1998, 2014, 2022 and 2026. The Indian men’s hockey team finished runners-up on nine occasions — in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982*, 1990, 1994 and in02. The country has claimed bronze medals in 1986, 2010, and 2018.
