Asian Games: How Pakistan Thriller Set India Up for Hockey Final Against Malaysia

Pakistan Thriller Gave India the Belief to Dominate Malaysia, Says Craig Fulton

India’s dramatic semifinal victory over Pakistan proved to be an important turning point for the men’s hockey team, giving them the confidence and composure needed to deliver a dominant performance against Malaysia in the Asian Games final, head coach Craig Fulton said.

India defeated Malaysia 5-1 to successfully defend their Asian Games title and secure consecutive gold medals. The triumph also earned the team direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The emphatic final victory came after a tense semifinal against Pakistan, where India surrendered a three-goal advantage as their arch-rivals fought back to level the contest at 3-3. Abhishek eventually scored the decisive goal to send India into the final.

Fulton believes surviving that scare helped India reset ahead of the gold-medal match.

“We almost needed that semifinal to get into this mindset,” Fulton said after the final, as quoted by PTI.

Honest Review After Pakistan Scare

India’s defence made several errors against Pakistan, allowing the opposition to claw its way back into the contest. Fulton admitted that the pressure of the occasion may have affected his players.

The coaching staff subsequently conducted an honest review of the performance and stressed the need to return to the basics while increasing the tempo and playing without fear.

“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,” Fulton said.

He acknowledged that India’s mistakes had allowed Pakistan to regain belief and momentum.

“If we didn’t get to four and five goals and then you make one or two mistakes, Pakistan can get their tail up and they can play and they can score goals,” he said.

Fulton was pleased that India managed to find a way through the difficult semifinal, saying the experience ultimately helped them in the final.

“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,” he added.

Olympic Qualification Was India’s Main Target

India’s victory over Malaysia not only delivered another Asian Games gold but also confirmed their place at the 2028 Olympics.

The qualification came after India endured a disappointing World Cup campaign, finishing eighth.

Fulton said winning the Asian Games and securing the Olympic berth had been the team’s primary objective for 2026.

“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,” he said.

Harmanpreet Singh led India’s scoring effort in the final with two goals, while the team produced a comprehensive display to overcome Malaysia 5-1.

India will now turn their attention to the Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin later this month in Punjab.