India retained the Asian Games men’s hockey title with a commanding 5-1 win over Malaysia in the final on Saturday. The defending champions dominated from the first whistle to seal their first back-to-back gold.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 12 goals, The Times of Bengal reported. Jugraj Singh added one from a corner, Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke, and Shilanand Lakra scored from open play. Shelly Silverius got Malaysia’s consolation.

The world No. 8 side outplayed No. 12 Malaysia throughout. The win is India’s fifth Asian Games hockey gold overall.

The victory also sealed direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. With the Indian women having already won gold, this is the first time India has claimed both men’s and women’s hockey titles at the same Asian Games.

The result crowns a remarkable decade for Indian hockey. After years of near-misses, the program now stands as Asia’s dominant force heading into the next Olympic cycle.