Indian men's hockey team eyes historic successive Asiad gold

KAKAMIGAHARA (JAPAN): Indian men's team will look to bring their 'A' game forward in their bid to defend the gold medal as well as book a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when they take on Malaysia in the Asian Games' summit clash here on Saturday.

India have never won successive Asian Games gold medals, which makes the final here on Saturday a golden opportunity to write a new chapter in history.

But, for India, who had a wobbly run in the semifinal against arch rivals Pakistan, it will be a challenge to pull up their socks against Malaysia who have remained unbeaten in the Asian Games with five consecutive wins.

In fact, both the finalists enter the gold medal match after tough outings in their respective semifinals.

The Indians were certainly on top of their game against Pakistan on Thursday, wasting a plethora of penalty corners while also conceding a three-goal lead.

India looked firmly in control after establishing a 3-0 lead, but Pakistan fought their way back into the contest and levelled the score at 3-3. With the match seemingly heading for a shootout, India scored the decisive goal in the last minute of regulation time through Abhishek to seal a dramatic 4-3 victory.

The comeback will, however, offer India plenty to reflect on during the short turnaround before the final. The last edition's gold medallist will look to tighten up defensively and eliminate the small lapses that allowed Pakistan to claw their way back.

With only a day between the semifinal and the gold-medal clash, recovery, composure, and attention to detail will be equally important.

Malaysia, meanwhile, also had to dig deep to reach the final. They were pushed hard by South Korea before eventually holding their nerve to secure a 2-1 victory.

The result earned them a place in their second Asian Games final in the last three editions and underlined their ability to stay composed when the margins are fine.

"Malaysia have done well, had a good tournament so far, so it's going to be a nice match-up. We haven't played Malaysia for quite some time. I think the last time was at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai. (These are) two nice attacking teams, lots of skill, lots of flair, lots of speed," said India's chief coach Craig Fulton.

Fulton added that he wants his team to focus only on the job at hand and not think too far ahead.

"We want to focus on just our own game plan, put our proactive mindset into the game and leave it all out there on the pitch."

India will once again look towards captain Harmanpreet Singh to lead from the front. The skipper has been central to attacking output, scoring 10 goals from penalty corners and sits second in the tournament's scoring charts behind Pakistan's Sufiyan Khan.

Strikers Abhishek and Dilpreet Singh have also made significant contributions with nine goals each.

Malaysia's attacking threat is built similarly around two experienced goal scorers. Veteran Faizal Saari and Abu Kamal Azrai have both found the target nine times and will be key players for Malaysia in a final where every opportunity could prove decisive.

For Harmanpreet and Manpreet Singh, the occasion carries an added personal significance.

A victory would make Harmanpreet the first Indian captain to lead the men's team in winning two consecutive Asian Games gold medals. Manpreet, the most capped Indian hockey player, can set another record by becoming the only player from the country to win three Asian Games gold medals, having already been part of the triumphant teams in 2014 and 2023.

With the Olympic qualification spot and the Asian Games gold medal at stake, the contest will bring a unique level of pressure for both sides.