Gurugram (Haryana) [India], October 15 (ANI): Indian hockey player Abhishek Nain said the men's and women's teams winning gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan was a moment of immense pride and motivation for the country.  He described the journey as a learning experience filled with ups and downs and said the historic double gold had strengthened the team's determination for future challenges. 

The Indian men's and women's hockey teams scripted history at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan by securing a memorable double gold. The men's team successfully defended its title with a commanding 5-1 victory over Malaysia, while the women's team ended a 44-year wait for Asian Games gold with a hard-fought 1-0 win against China.

Nain added that the team is preparing for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy in Jalandhar, with the ultimate goal of performing well at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

'It provides immense motivation to win gold for the country; we won two gold medals in hockey, one with the women's team and one with the men's. It is a moment of great pride for us and serves as the first step toward our future targets. This has motivated us, and we are ready for upcoming tournaments... It was a wonderful journey. There were plenty of ups and downs, but I learned and achieved things step by step. So, overall, it was a great journey... We have the Asian Champions Trophy coming up in Jalandhar, and we are currently preparing for that. After that, our target is the LA Olympics, so we will focus our preparations on that,' Nain told ANI.

The Asian Champions Trophy 2026 is scheduled to take place in Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5. The tournament holds special significance, marking the return of international hockey to Punjab, a state that has made an immense contribution to the sport and produced generations of iconic players.

Defending champions India will look to build on their recent success and continue their strong record in the Asian Champions Trophy, having won the title five times so far to be the tournament's most successful team.

The competition will begin in Jalandhar, with the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium hosting the opening ceremony and all league-stage fixtures from October 27 to November 2. 

The action will then move to Mohali for the business end of the tournament, with the semi-finals scheduled for November 4, followed by the medal matches on November 5 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium. (ANI)