Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 3 (ANI): The Indian males’s hockey crew celebrated contained in the dressing room after their Asian Games gold medal win and direct qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Indian males’s hockey crew clinched the gold medal on the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Malaysia 5-1 within the closing on Saturday, securing back-to-back gold medals on the continental occasion. With India having gained the ladies’s title after a 1-0 win over China, this marks the primary occasion of each males’s and girls’s groups securing a double gold end on the continental showpiece.
Following the win, the crew was celebrating, shouting and dancing their hearts out to some vibey Punjabi music contained in the dressing room, with the top coach Craig Fulton additionally becoming a member of the squad.
‘A particular night requires particular celebration! The boys are bringing the Asian Games gold residence from Japan and the dressing room is FULL OF GOLDEN VIBES! #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #AsianGames2026 #AichiNagoya2026.’
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India’s males’s hockey crew created historical past by defending its Asian Games gold medal for the primary time, securing consecutive titles in 2022 and 2026. The triumph additionally marked India’s fifth males’s hockey gold on the Asian Games, following its earlier victories in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022.
With this achievement, hockey turned the third Indian crew sport, after kabaddi and cricket, to register a double-gold podium end on the continental occasion.
India continued to press excessive and earned their first penalty nook within the twelfth minute. Harmanpreet Singh made no mistake together with his dragflick to place India forward.
Malaysia responded nearly instantly, with Shello Silverius amassing an aerial go on the left earlier than smashing the ball previous Suraj from a good angle on a half volley within the 14th minute.
The first quarter ended 1-1, with Malaysia defending deep and irritating India’s attacking strikes.
India regained the lead within the twenty third minute by means of Jugraj Singh, who transformed a penalty nook with a well-executed dragflick. India took a 2-1 lead into half-time.
India continued to dominate possession within the third quarter however struggled to create clear probabilities. However, they prolonged their lead within the forty third minute after a penalty stroke was awarded following a deflection from Mandeep Singh that hit the physique of the submit defender.
Hardik Singh stepped up and transformed the stroke, sending the goalkeeper the fallacious solution to make it 3-1. India saved urgent for a fourth objective and earned a collection of penalty corners within the 53rd minute. After a number of makes an attempt and a TV assessment, the penalty nook was retained, and India finally discovered the breakthrough within the fifty fifth minute.
Abhishek’s run from the best led to the ball reaching Shilanand Lakra after a deflection, and he made no mistake from shut vary to provide India a 4-1 lead. Two minutes later, India earned one other penalty nook after a assessment confirmed a push on Dilpreet Singh. Harmanpreet transformed from the set piece to make it 5-1 within the 57th minute.
India held on comfortably within the closing minutes to safe the gold medal. The victory marked India’s back-to-back males’s hockey gold medals on the Asian Games. (ANI)