s2h team

Craig Fulton addressed the media in an online conference from SAI, Bengaluru, on Tuesday, along with India captain Harmanpreet Singh, ahead of a demanding period that starts with FIH Pro League mini-tournaments in London and Eindhoven (The Netherlands) starting on May 26.

The South African, who steps in for Australian Graham Reid who left the scene after a disappointing World Cup campaign in January, exuded confidence but also exercised caution as he responded to questions from the media.

Craig Fulton

The 48-year-old, a former attacking midfielder, who played at the 1996 and 2004 Olympics, talked about his goals but more often than not focussed on the run-up to the Asian Games in  September where a direct spot to the 2024 Paris Olympics is up for grabs.

“The talent and flair available is outstanding,” he said. “That makes the Indian team very difficult to play in India but with the big tournaments like the World Cup and the Olympics coming up abroad in the next few years, we have to challenge the notion that we do well only at home,” Fulton, who arrived in the country on April 29, said.

The FIH Pro League in which India will have an opportunity to build towards, first and foremost, the Asian Games which is the dominant short-term goal according to the South African.

“We intend moving players around in the FIH Pro League tournaments to come. At the end of the day, we would see a lot of players,” Fulton said.

One for blooding players, Fulton has brought in the young drag-flicker/ defender Sanjay who scintillated with the U-21s and he said there’d be further opportunities for team building at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai in August and hopes to get the best together when the Asian Games get under way in September.

Fulton guided Ireland to the 2016 Olympics in Rio (for the first time in 108 years) which brought him the FIH Coach of the Year award.

He then served as assistant coach to Shane McLeod of New Zealand in Belgium’s epoch-making run as 2018 World Cup and 2020 Olympic champions with the 2019 EuroHockey Championship title thrown in.

But the India job, often touted as the ultimate in a coaching career, adds a new dimension to Fulton’s CV.

“Sure, there’s pressure and expectation from the Indian public and fans,” he said. Coaching India is the hardest job in world hockey but I am positive. I like what I see in the team. And I’m not going to be half-hearted in my role,” said the affable South African who praised interim coach David John of Australia who oversaw the team’s unbeaten run in the Rourkela leg of the FIH Pro League in March that sees India leading the nine-nation table.

Fulton is excited about the team’s prowess in counter-attacking, interceptions and moving the ball around but is working on getting the best out of the defence which he hopes to lend a calm and composed look even in the most stressful of situations.

To that end, he has moved midfield maestro and former captain Manpreet Singh into the defence, something that bulwark and captain Harmanpreet Singh welcomes, but without raising an eyebrow. “As a midfielder, Manpreet often steps back to lend the defence a helping hand,” said Harmanpreet.

And talking of defence, Fulton revealed that while he’s an attacking coach, having a defensive structure in place is of paramount importance. “But, we can’t sit back in our own half and I hope to harness the DNA of the team which involves skill, attacking and counterattacking, and blend it with composure,” he said.

Fulton knows too well the mental and emotional demands of the game. He supported the need for a team psychologist and spoke clearly for the need to eschew complacency after achieving bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if the colour of the medal was to be changed in campaigns to come.

What impresses him the most about the Indian 39-strong group of players under his tutelage? “Their camaraderie,” said Fulton. “They get along so well with each other.”

Just the camp atmosphere needed ahead of arduous campaigns to come. Especially for captain Harmanpreet, an expectant father, who hopes to be at home at the arrival of his first child.