India explode in 2nd half, crush Malaysia 5-1 to retain Asian Games gold; seal LA28 spot

The Indian men's hockey team defended their Asian Games gold medal and secured a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after defeating Malaysia 5-1 in the final in Kakamigahara, Japan, on Saturday.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.Malaysia secured the silver, while Pakistan won the bronze by defeating South Korea 5-3 earlier in the day.India started slowly as Malaysia, as expected, defended in a low block and managed to keep the Indian attack out despite the pressure. India eventually broke the deadlock in the 12th minute through Harmanpreet.India won their first penalty corner after Hardik played Abhishek into the circle and the forward found a Malaysian defender's foot. Harmanpreet took the first attempt, but the push from Hardik was poor.