The Indian men's hockey team returned to Amritsar on Tuesday to a grand welcome after defending their Asian Games gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya. Families, fans and officials gathered at the airport to receive the champions.India beat Malaysia 5-1 in the final to retain the continental title for the second straight edition. The win also earned India direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice in the final, with Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh and Shilanand Lakra also finding the net.The road to gold included a dramatic 4-3 semi-final win over arch-rivals Pakistan. Harmanpreet, who led the side in Hangzhou as well, said winning back-to-back titles was a very special moment and credited the collective effort of the entire squad.India's women also claimed gold in hockey, completing a clean sweep of the team sport for the country. Harmanpreet told reporters the team will now use the time before the Olympics to improve weak areas and keep the gold target in mind. The squad had earlier received a grand welcome at Delhi's IGI airport on Monday.