Kakamegahara, October 3 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian hockey team celebrated a significant victory on Saturday, defeating Malaysia 5-1 in the final held at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. This win not only secured the gold medal at the Asian Games but also guaranteed the team’s qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Midfielder Manpreet Singh expressed pride in the team’s performance, emphasizing that they remained focused on their goals despite facing criticism before the tournament. The Indian team had been under scrutiny, but they showcased their skills in Japan, winning all five group stage matches and overcoming Pakistan 4-3 in the semifinals.
After the final match, Manpreet stated, “There are always many discussions happening outside. Criticism is ongoing, but we did not focus on that. We came here to achieve something, and today we accomplished that.”
He highlighted that winning the gold medal and securing direct qualification for the Olympics allows India to concentrate on enhancing their game rather than going through the qualification rounds. “The Asian Games were a crucial tournament for us, as we qualified directly for the 2028 Olympics. Now we can work on ourselves, identify areas that need improvement, and prepare better for Los Angeles,” he added.
Manpreet credited the team’s defense for their success against Malaysia and for capitalizing on scoring opportunities. “Our defense was strong from start to finish. Whenever we had chances, whether from penalty corners or field goals, we converted them into goals,” he remarked.
Forward Dilpreet Singh echoed Manpreet’s sentiments, stating that the gold medal was a result of the team’s hard work and long-term preparation. He noted that qualifying directly for Los Angeles was one of their primary objectives.
“Our entire team is very happy because we have been training hard for a long time. Our goal was to win gold and secure our qualification for LA,” Dilpreet said. He also mentioned that the team learned valuable lessons from their tough semifinal victory, entering the final with the intention to perform better. “There was no pressure, but after the semifinal, where we faced challenges, everyone aimed to learn from our mistakes and win the final by a large margin,” he concluded.
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