Disappointing results, tough lessons but important to build on positives: Craig Fulton

The Indian men’s hockey team slipped to eighth in the world ranking following a disappointing outing in the European leg of the FIH Pro League, finishing with just one win in eight games.

However, coach Craig Fulton prefers building on the positives and staying focused on the Asia Cup that starts in less than two months’ time.

“It was disappointing in terms of results vis-a-vis our expectations. At the same time, we were competitive and could have easily drawn or won some of those games… so it was quite frustrating. Still, there were some positives. Against Holland, we pressed really well and had a fantastic second game. We just couldn’t score. We tried a new tactical system, a zonal system. In February, we did more man-to-man system. Now we have both, so it’s a good block of reflection for us and discovery,” Fulton said during an interaction on Tuesday.

Captain Harmapreet Singh was injured for some of the games, but Fulton insisted the plan at the moment was to find someone to complement, not replace him.

“Harman’s not going to play forever. But while he’s here, how do we find someone who can support him? Amit has a different skill set. He can flick and he can hit. Jugraj has a good flick, Rajinder and Sanjay have been trialled, and Neelam’s been tested. It’s difficult to replace Harmanpreet. It’s not something you think about because while you have him, he’s a powerful force. Yes, there’s a challenge to replace Harman, but we’re not replacing him right now,” he said.

Admitting the seven-match losing streak was frustrating, Fulton accepted responsibility for ‘not prepping the boys’ as required but preferred to focus on the learnings.

“You win or learn, and it’s really on you to take those lessons and turn them into reality. We can’t brush it under the carpet. Going into the Asia Cup, that’s our priority for the year. We want to stay No. 1 in Asia and get back to winning ways,” he insisted.