Hockey India announces cash rewards for the Indian men’s hockey team after its second straight Asian Games gold and direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics
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Indian players celebrate after winning the men’s hockey final against Malaysia at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan, on Saturday, October 3, 2026(Photo: IANS)
The Indian men’s hockey team has been rewarded for its historic Asian Games 2026 campaign after defending its gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey announced a cash prize of ₹11 lakh for every player of the gold-medal winning team, while each member of the support staff will receive ₹5.5 lakhThe announcement came after India defeated Malaysia 5-1 in the final on Saturday to retain the Asian Games title.
The victory was special for Indian hockey as the men’s team became the first Indian side to successfully defend its Asian Games goldIndia had won the previous edition in Hangzhou and followed it up with another title in Japan.
Tirkey praised the players, coaches, captain and support staff for their efforts throughout the tournament.
“Team India has won back-to-back Asian Games gold medalsIn the last Asian Games, we defeated Japan 5-1, and today, we beat Malaysia 5-1 in the finalTeam India’s performance was excellentWinning the gold medal again is a fantastic achievement,” Tirkey said.
The former India captain also pointed out another major achievement from the tournamentFor the first time, India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold medals at the same Asian Games.
“History has also been made here because, for the first time in Indian hockey history at the Asian Games, both the women’s and men’s teams have won gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Games,” Tirkey said.
The men’s gold also secured India a direct qualification spot for the 2028 Los Angeles OlympicsTirkey said that qualification was one of the main targets for the team at the Asian Games.
“Our players, coaches, support staff, and captain all did a fantastic jobIn today’s match, it looked like we would win against MalaysiaWe got our goal late but managed to win 5-1The most important thing is that we will qualify for the Olympics 2028 directlyAsian Games were our direct target,” he said.
Tirkey also thanked the Odisha and central governments for their support towards Indian hockey.
“The aim has always been to develop the sport and the players, and they have helped in thatI thank the Odisha government for standing with Indian hockeyThe central government is also supporting us wellI would like to thank everyone,” he added.
India’s road to Asian Games hockey gold
India began its title defence in Pool A with a 13-1 win over IndonesiaThe team then produced another big victory, beating Sri Lanka 16-1South Korea provided a tougher test, but India still came away with an 8-2 win.
India next faced hosts Japan and registered a 2-0 victory before ending the group stage with a 10-0 demolition of BangladeshFive wins from five matches saw India finish top of Pool A with a +45 goal difference.
The semi-final against Pakistan was a much closer contestIndia led 3-0 but Pakistan fought back to level the scoreWith less than a minute remaining, Abhishek scored the decisive goal as India secured a thrilling 4-3 victory and booked a place in the final.
Malaysia awaited India in the gold-medal matchIndia eventually produced another strong display to win 5-1Harmanpreet Singh scored twice, while Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh and Shilanand Lakra also found the netThe victory gave India its fifth Asian Games men’s hockey gold and a second straight title.
