India's Hockey Team Aims for Olympic Glory with Enhanced Trust and Team Spirit

Building trust and fostering team spirit have been paramount for India's men's hockey coach Craig Fulton since taking over last year. As the team sets its sights on surpassing the Olympic bronze achieved in Tokyo, Fulton is confident that his efforts will bear fruit.

Upon assuming the role 14 months ago, Fulton emphasized the importance of developing a strong team bond and enhancing defensive strategies. "My main focus has been on building trust among the group," he stated. To bolster his efforts, he enlisted the services of renowned mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who played a pivotal role in India's 2011 ODI World Cup triumph. Upton remains with the team for the Paris Olympics.

As part of their preparations, the team participated in a three-day camp with Swiss explorer and adventurer Mike Horn in Switzerland before arriving at the Paris Games Village on July 20. "I simply put in my plans which are short as well as long term and have worked according to them," Fulton explained. "We had a good preparation, we had a nice three-day training camp with Mike Horn in Switzerland."

"We worked on trust-building, team spirit and unity there and then we headed for Netherlands for nine-day training, where we played a few practice matches," he elaborated.

India broke a 41-year-old medal jinx at the Tokyo Olympics under the guidance of Australian coach Graham Reid. However, Reid resigned last year after India's disappointing performance in the World Cup.

Fulton acknowledges the heightened expectations following the Tokyo performance. "Yes, I know about the expectations and we are fully prepared for that. India has a rich hockey legacy and my only endeavour is to continue the legacy," he said. "I can't predict anything (about podium finish) right now because there is hardly any gap between the 12 teams in Olympics. Our first three matches are very important and we are focussing on that now."

India's 16-member squad in Paris comprises 11 players who were in Tokyo, while five will be making their Olympic debut. But for Fulton, the key lies in finding the right team combination. It would be the fourth Olympics for veteran goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, who will retire at the end of the Games.

"It doesn't matter there are 11 experienced and five new players, what matters for me is who is playing well in the company of whom," said the 49-year-old, who was assistant coach of Belgium's 2018 World Cup-winning team as well as the gold-medal winning Tokyo Olympics side. "Balance on the pitch is crucial," he asserted.

India are placed in a tough pool alongside mighty Australia, reigning gold medallists Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland. The team will begin its campaign on July 27 against New Zealand, followed by matches against Argentina (July 29), Ireland (July 30), Belgium (August 1) and Australia (August 2).

"On any day, anyone can beat the other but we just want to take it match by match. So, now our main focus is on New Zealand and from there, we will take it forward," Fulton concluded.

Meanwhile, Hockey India on Tuesday named the core probable group for the men's national camp in SAI, Bengaluru for the forthcoming Asian Champions Trophy to be held in Hulunbuir City, China in September. The core group includes players who didn't make the final cut for Paris Olympics and also features players from the development group and the junior team. After returning from Paris, the players from the Olympic squad will also join the national camp on August 24 after a brief break. The camp will conclude on September 4.

Tags: #ParisOlympics2024#Olympics#Hockey#CraigFulton#PaddyUpton#TeamSpirit#TrustBuilding#DefensiveStrategy