Pakistan semi ‘prepared’ India for 5-1 Asian Games final win over Malaysia
India defeated Malaysia 5-1 in the men's hockey final at the Asian Games on October 4, 2026, a result coach Craig Fulton said was shaped by the team's tense semifinal against Pakistan. Fulton linked that earlier encounter to the mindset India brought to the title match.
Harmanpreet Singh scored twice as India brushed aside Malaysia to successfully defend their Asian Games crown, and the victory secured back-to-back gold medals and a place at the 2028 Olympics. India had been given an almighty scare in the semifinal when Pakistan recovered from three goals down to level the game 3-3 before Abhishek got his side over the line. "We played a great game. We almost needed that semifinal (win) to get into this mindset," Fulton said after the final, as quoted by PTI.
Fulton said the coaching staff and players held an "honest debrief" after the Pakistan match and set clear priorities for the final. "This game was good because we really debriefed honestly after the semifinal. We just had to focus on ourselves and our basic game plan but do it at tempo and have no fear. Suddenly, it started to click and off we went again. So it was great," said Fulton.
The coach acknowledged defensive lapses in the semifinal and suggested the occasion affected the team. "We just had a good debrief. We were just honest with the way we played and I think the occasion got to us a little bit." "Because if we didn't get to four and five goals and then you make one or two mistakes and then Pakistan get their tail up and they can play and they can score goals," said Fulton. "I'm glad we found a way to win that game because that was the difference and I think that helped us in this final."
India's final victory followed a disappointing World Cup campaign where the team finished eighth, a result Fulton said made the Asian Games the season's priority. "That was the main goal of 2026. Had we won the World Cup we still would have had to come here and play. Obviously the World Cup didn't go the way we wanted it to. I'm glad we dominated in Asia and this was important for us," said Fulton.
The Indian team will be back in action towards the end of the month with the start of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Punjab.