India men’s hockey team convincingly beat Malaysia in the Asian Games 2026 Final to not only win their fifth Asiad gold but also secure a direct berth for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
On Saturday (3 October), in the Final, India beat Malaysia by 5-1. Captain Harmanpreet Singh (11’) provided a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute by converting a penalty corner, while Shello Silverius equalised the scoreline for Malaysia in the 14th minute through a field goal.
Jugraj Singh helped India to regain the lead (2-1) in the 23rd minute after converting another penalty corner. Hardik Singh later scored from a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute, while Shilanand Lakra scored a field goal in the 54th minute. Skipper Harmanpreet scored his second goal of the match in the 57th minute, as he scored from another penalty corner, to secure a 5-1 win for India.
It was the fifth Asian Games gold medal for the Indian men’s hockey team, the second-most Asiad gold medals in men’s hockey, behind Pakistan’s record of eight Asian Games gold medals. Meanwhile, it was the first time that the Indian men’s hockey team successfully defended the Asian Games gold medal. On the other hand, Malaysia have equalised their best Asiad record by finishing as runners-up for the third time.
With this Asian Games success, the Indian men’s hockey team has also secured a direct berth to the next Summer Olympics, Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). Earlier, the Indian women's hockey team also secured their spot at LA28 after winning the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
Talking more about the Asian Games 2026, India dominated the group stage by winning all the Pool A fixtures. In their first two group stage matches, India thrashed Indonesia and Sri Lanka by 13-1 and 16-1, respectively. Later, India beat South Korea and the hosts Japan by 8-2 and 2-0, respectively. India finished the group stage journey with a 10-0 victory against Bangladesh.
India faced significant challenges in the Semifinal against the arch-rivals Pakistan, where they won by 4-3 to secure another Asian Games medal.
Key facts of India men’s hockey team winning the Asian Games 2026 gold medal
India won their fifth Asian Games gold medal. It is the second-most Asian Games gold medal record in the men’s hockey history.
India first time defended their Asian Games gold medal, as they had previously won it in the 2022 edition.
With the Asian Games 2026 gold medal, India have qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
Asian Games 2026: India men’s hockey team match results
Group Stage
India 13-1 Indonesia
India 16-1 Sri Lanka
South Korea 2-8 India
Japan 0-2 India
India 10-0 Bangladesh
Semifinal
India 4-3 Pakistan
Final
India 5-1 Malaysia