Malaysia’s men’s hockey team has advanced to the final of the 2026 Asian Games, dedicating their achievement to the late former head coach Sarjit Singh, who passed away in August. The team secured a 2-1 victory over four-time Asian Games champions South Korea in the semifinal match held yesterday at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.

Current head coach Brendon Carolan acknowledged Sarjit’s lasting impact on the program, noting that the team’s success is built on the foundation laid by his predecessor before Carolan took charge in April. “We dedicate this win to coach Sarjit. He had been a huge part of this programme and just wanted to thank him and all that he had done for the team,” Carolan said after the game.

The match saw Malaysia’s Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal score twice to lead the Speedy Tigers into the final. Azrai opened the scoring by converting a penalty corner in the 40th minute, giving Malaysia a late lead. South Korea responded quickly with an equalizer from Lee Gang-san. However, Azrai secured Malaysia’s win by netting a penalty stroke in the 45th minute.

Malaysia will face defending champions India in the final, with the winner earning a coveted berth at the Olympic Games. India reached the final after a 4-3 victory against Pakistan in the other semifinal.

Carolan emphasized that, while reaching the final is an important milestone, the team remains focused on capturing their first gold medal at the Asian Games. Malaysia has yet to win the tournament, with their best performance dating back to the 2018 edition in Jakarta, where they earned silver after narrowly losing to Japan in a penalty shootout.

“For us, while it’s good to enter the final, our goal is to win the tournament,” Carolan said, underscoring Malaysia’s determination to challenge India and make history in the competition.