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Coach Craig Fulton's unwavering belief in building trust and teamwork propelled the Indian hockey team to defend its bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Fulton emphasized the importance of fostering a strong bond among the players, recognizing that it was the foundation for their success.The team's journey began with a gold medal at the Asian Games, securing their qualification for the Olympics. Despite facing challenges in the Pro League, the team remained confident in their abilities. Fulton's unwavering belief in their potential instilled a sense of determination within the players.The quarterfinal match against Great Britain proved to be a defining moment. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Amit Rohidas' red card suspension, the team displayed remarkable resilience. They fought valiantly for 43 minutes, ultimately securing a hard-fought victory. Fulton hailed this performance as one of his proudest moments on the hockey field.The semifinal match against Germany was a tough battle, but the Indian team played with heart and determination. While they were unable to score, Fulton praised their fighting spirit. He also acknowledged the team's resilience in the bronze medal match against Spain, where they faced a relentless attack in the final quarter.Fulton credited the team's success to the lessons they learned during their training sessions with Paddy Upton and Mike Horn, who were part of the World Cup-winning Indian cricket team. These sessions focused on mental toughness and the importance of embracing challenges. Fulton believes that these experiences played a crucial role in the team's ability to overcome adversity and achieve their goals.

India's hockey team has faced a series of setbacks in recent months, including a disappointing performance at the 2023 World Cup. However, the team has been working to rebuild its momentum and belief through a series of team-building exercises designed to foster friendship, trust, and bonding within the group.Chief coach Craig Fulton and mental health expert Paddy Upton have implemented a variety of activities to help the team detach itself from hockey and focus on other aspects of their lives. These activities have included swimming, surfing, hiking, and even making short films.The team's recent success in the Pro League, where they defeated 2016 Rio Olympics champions Argentina, is a testament to the importance of keeping the mood light and fostering a positive team environment."These activities will not necessarily improve your hockey but what it will improve are your relationships, understanding and trust of your teammates," says Fulton. "Investing in team and individuals and doing things outside hockey are ways to refuel the process because if you just train, you’ll end up running out of fuel."The team's bonding exercises have also helped them to develop a better understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses. During a hike up Table Mountain in South Africa, the team realized that they needed to look after everyone, communicate, understand, and go up together."They were small but important things. Some had issues with the altitude, some were nervous looking at the climb, some got tired. The idea was to support, boost each other and take everyone along. That is how you win," said India forward Lalit Upadhyay.The team's bonding exercises have also helped them to develop a greater sense of creativity and presence of mind. During an "Oscar night" event, the team was divided into groups and had to make short films based on certain themes. The entire squad then watched the films together during a special screening which turned out to be a laugh riot following which ‘Oscar’ awards were also handed out."The name of our movie was Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. Just think – Akashdeep (Singh) was a king who had to deliver justice. Raj(kumar Pal) was playing a female dancer who had been teased. I was senapati (military chief), the movie was shot by Shamsher (Singh). It was super fun. All teams had a director, actors, cameramen. We shot the entire day and it was screened during a team dinner. The entire campus was filled with laughter," says Hardik.The team's bonding exercises have been a key factor in their recent success. They have helped the team to build a stronger foundation and to develop a greater sense of trust and camaraderie. These exercises will continue to be an important part of the team's preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.