Gifu:Malaysia: Missing out on the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games men's hockey gold medal and an automatic ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has left national player Fitri Saari feeling the pain of two missed targets.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fitri explained that both winning the gold and securing Olympic qualification had been the national squad's main ambitions before their campaign began. Malaysia had to settle for silver after losing 1-5 to defending champions India in the final at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.

The defeat means Malaysia will now have to go through the Olympic qualifying tournament, a challenge Fitri acknowledges will be tough due to the strength of teams from other continents, including potentially the Netherlands and Spain.

Reflecting on the match, Fitri noted that Malaysia matched India in the first two quarters before their performance waned due to lapses in decision-making. He emphasized that despite India's advantage as defending champions, the team gave their best effort.

Fitri pointed out that Malaysia must improve several aspects of their game, particularly in defending penalty corners and finishing in attack, to enhance their future performances. Malaysia will now focus on the Asian Champions Trophy in India from October 27 to November 5 before continuing preparations for the Olympic qualifiers.