|
"It feels really great," India men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh said after returning to the national capital with the Asian Games 2026 gold medal, adding that direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics has given the team an opportunity to prepare specifically for the global showpiece.
The Indian men's hockey team received a grand welcome at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday after successfully defending its Asian Games title in Aichi-Nagoya. "We've come back with the medal and we've qualified directly for LA [Olympics], so I'm just very happy," Harmanpreet told ANI. India defeated Malaysia 5-1 in the men's hockey final to retain the Asian Games gold, completing a clean sweep for the country in the team sports after the women's hockey team also claimed the top prize. Harmanpreet, who was also part of India's 2022 Asian Games gold-medal winning side, said the team would now use the time before the Los Angeles Olympics to address areas that need improvement. "We'll make good use of whatever time we have. We'll focus more on the areas where we need to improve, and definitely keep the gold target in mind. We just hope the team shows the same form on a stage like the Olympics and does well," he said. India's road to the gold included a dramatic 4-3 win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final. Harmanpreet scored twice in that contest before Abhishek struck in the final minute to seal India's place in the title clash. Veteran midfielder and former skipper Manpreet Singh, who won his third Asian Games gold and is a four-time Olympian, said the team's belief remained intact even when Pakistan fought back from 3-0 down to level the semi-final. "It was that we should do our best. Keep a lot of control over our emotions, execute our game structure and game plan, and we will definitely win. And this was it, to give our best from start to finish, that's what happened. We played quite well in the first-half. Our first half was quite good. In the second-half we made a small mistake where they equalized and it became 3-3. But even after that, it was about giving our best, playing until the very end. Even if it had went to a shootout, we had a good shootout players. We had full confidence that we will win," he told ANI. Manpreet said the direct qualification for LA 2028 would allow the team to concentrate on improving itself rather than worrying about qualification. "This win was quite important because we have already qualified for LA Olympics. So we don't need to think too much about qualification right now. So we can work on ourselves right now, on our fitness and the things where we can improve ourselves so that when we go to LA, there is no area where we haven't worked and everyone will focus on fitness right now," he said. Midfielder Hardik Singh, meanwhile, said the Asian Games gold was particularly significant after India's disappointing World Cup campaign. "It feels really good because since last year, our goal was to bring a gold medal at the Asian Games. But I think that somewhere, the World Cup was a bit of a disappointment for us. So that's why this Asian Games gold medal is very special for us," he said. Hardik also hailed the women's hockey team's achievement after it ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games medal by beating China 1-0 in the final. "Big congratulations to the girls' team for their achievement which is currently above ours. Because in the 1980S, they won the Gold medal, and now after 40-odd years, they are getting a gold medal and they have beaten a team like China in the final. So, a big congratulations to them," he said. The women's team secured India's first women's hockey gold at the Asian Games since 1982, with Lalremsiami scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute. Both Indian hockey teams consequently secured direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics. Defender Jarmanpreet Singh said the Asian Games gold was important for the team following the World Cup and welcomed the direct Olympic qualification. "Feeling quite good because this medal was very important for us. Because after the World Cup, this was our next major event, and it was very important for us to perform well in it," he told ANI. On the Pakistan semi-final, Jarmanpreet said, "We started the match with the mindset that we have to win this match and come out of it, and we have to stick to all our structural plans, and we kept playing in the same way until the last minute. Somewhere in the middle we lagged, it became 3-3, but even after that our team performed well and fought until the last minute, and the result is in front of us that we won that match 4-3." Forward Mandeep Singh, meanwhile, said the men's and women's teams making history together made the campaign even more special. Mandeep is married to Udita Duhan, an Indian field hockey player, after the couple tied the knot in March 2025. "It feels very good and we have won back-to-back medals. We have created history, so it feels really great. This is the first time the men's and women's teams have won a gold together, and it's a matter of great joy," he said. India's men's hockey gold was its fifth at the Asian Games after previous triumphs in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022. The women's gold ended a 44-year wait, with the two victories marking the first time India's men's and women's hockey teams won gold at the same edition of the Asian Games. With both teams now qualified for LA 2028, the Indian hockey players return from Aichi-Nagoya with their immediate focus shifting towards building on the Asian Games success and preparing for the next Olympic challenge. (ANI)
|
