India’s men’s hockey team thrashed Malaysia 5-1 in the final on Saturday to retain the Asian Games gold medal and seal direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 12 goals. India dominated the final in Gifu from the first whistle, never letting Malaysia settle.

The victory means India defended the title they won at the previous Asian Games. It also secured the Olympic berth without going through the qualifiers.

The win capped a golden day for Indian hockey at the Games. A day earlier, the women’s team had beaten China 1-0 to win gold after a 44-year wait, ending a drought stretching back to 1982.

India have now won gold in both the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments at the same Asian Games for the first time.

The result took India’s gold tally to 21 at the Games, lifting the country to fourth place in the overall medal table with 85 medals in total.