India’s men’s hockey team made history at the 2026 Asian Games, thrashing Malaysia 5–1 in the final to capture their fifth Asian Games gold medal and successfully defend their title for the first time.
After a tense first quarter ended 1–1, India dominated the remainder of the match. Captain Harmanpreet Singh led the charge with two penalty corner goals, while Jugraj Singh (penalty corner), Hardik Singh (penalty stroke), and Shilanand Lakra (field goal) rounded out the emphatic scoring.
The victory also secures India a direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics. Meanwhile, Malaysia claimed silver, and Pakistan secured bronze with a 5–3 win over South Korea.
This historic triumph propelled India's medal tally to 85 overall, including 21 golds, lifting the nation past Uzbekistan into fourth place on the medal table.