India men's hockey coach Craig Fulton said the tense semi-final win over Pakistan played a key role in preparing his team for the Asian Games final against Malaysia, where India delivered a commanding 5-1 victory to retain their gold medal. The triumph also secured India's direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, giving the team an important double achievement after a disappointing World Cup campaign. India had been pushed to the limit by Pakistan in the semi-final after surrendering a three-goal advantage and allowing their arch-rivals to level the contest at 3-3. Abhishek eventually scored the decisive goal to send India into the final, and Fulton believes surviving that pressure helped the players approach the title clash with greater confidence and composure.

Harmanpreet Singh led India's charge in the final with two goals as the defending champions produced a much more controlled performance against Malaysia. Fulton said the team needed the experience of the Pakistan match to get into the right mindset and respond strongly in the final. "We played a great game. We almost needed that semifinal (win) to get into this mindset," Fulton said after the final. He added that the players held an honest debrief after the Pakistan match, assessing their mistakes and focusing on returning to their basic game plan while increasing the tempo. According to the coach, the approach allowed the team to regain its rhythm and play with greater freedom against Malaysia.

Fulton acknowledged that India's defence had made several avoidable mistakes against Pakistan, which allowed the opposition to recover from a three-goal deficit and put the result in doubt. He felt the occasion may have affected his players during the semi-final, particularly as Pakistan grew in confidence after India's defensive errors. "We just had a good debrief. We were just honest with the way we played and I think the occasion got to us a little bit," Fulton said. He explained that allowing Pakistan to stay within reach was dangerous because the team could build momentum and score once India made mistakes. The coach said he was pleased that India ultimately found a way to win because that experience became valuable preparation for the final.

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The victory over Malaysia was particularly significant because it fulfilled India's main objective for the 2026 season. The Asian Games gold medal gave the team a direct qualification place for the 2028 Olympics, avoiding the need to depend on another qualification route. India had endured a difficult World Cup campaign, finishing eighth, but Fulton said the Asian Games remained the priority because winning the continental title was necessary regardless of what had happened at the World Cup. "That was the main goal of 2026. Had we won the World Cup we still would have had to come here and play," he said, adding that the team was pleased to dominate in Asia and secure the Olympic berth.

India's successful title defence also provided a strong response after the setbacks earlier in the year. Fulton said the players' ability to honestly assess their performance against Pakistan and then execute their plan at greater tempo was central to the final victory. The narrow escape in the semi-final therefore became more than just a route to the gold-medal match, giving the team an opportunity to address defensive lapses and manage pressure before facing Malaysia. With the Asian Games campaign now complete and Olympic qualification secured, India will turn their attention to the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Punjab, where the team is scheduled to return to action towards the end of October

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