Sports News | Asian Games 2026: Harmanpreet, Mandeep Hail Historic Back-to-back Gold as India Secures LA Olympics Berth

New Delhi [India], October 5 (ANI): India’s Asian Games 2026 gold medal-winning men’s hockey team received a grand welcome in New Delhi on Monday.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh said the team performed strongly throughout the tournament and achieved its twin objectives of winning gold and securing qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

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"We played very well throughout the entire tournament. We achieved the target of winning the Asian Games 2026 and qualifying for the LA Olympics,” Harmanpreet told ANI.

Indian field hockey player Mandeep Singh hailed India’s historic back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in men’s hockey, saying the team now has sufficient time to prepare and build towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

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"We created history by winning back-to-back gold medals...We have ample time to prepare for the LA Olympics,” Mandeep Singh told ANI.

The Indian men’s hockey team made history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by successfully defending its continental crown for the first time.

The Harmanpreet Singh-led side defeated Malaysia 5-1 in the final to retain the gold medal. The victory also secured India’s direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

This was the fifth Gold medal overall for the Indian men’s hockey team in the continental sports extravaganza after 1966 Bangkok, 1998 Bangkok, 2014 Incheon and 2022 Hangzhou editions.

India edged past arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 by scoring in the dying minutes of the match at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, squandering a 3-0 lead. Captain Harmanpreet Singh (5’, 13’) and Sukhjeet Singh (23’) gave India a 3-0 lead, but Abu Mahmood (30’), Hannan Shahid (45’) and Waheed Rana (49’) brought Pakistan back to level terms. It was Abhishek who scored in the final minute of the match to take India into the men’s final. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)