Online Sports Desk
Craig Fulton, coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, stated that every member of the squad is determined to create their own legacy at the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup. He emphasised the team’s focus on restoring national pride through successive match victories.
Fulton made these remarks during an interview, ahead of the tournament scheduled from August 14 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands. India earned direct qualification by winning the men’s Asia Cup on home soil last year.
The team is placed in Pool D alongside England, Wales and rivals Pakistan. India last won the World Cup in 1975, defeating Pakistan 2-1, but has not claimed the title in the past 50 years. Having finished ninth in the 2023 edition, held in Bhubaneswar, India aims to secure the gold medal, building on recent successes including two Olympic bronze medals, an Asia Cup triumph, two Asian Champions Trophy victories and another Asia Cup gold.
He added a pragmatic outlook, noting India’s current world ranking as eighth and their “six per cent chance” of winning the event. “There is also a realistic side of it. It is where we ranked. So, where is our ranking now? We are seventh, eighth in the world. So, we have got probably like a six percent chance, been given a six percent chance to win this tournament. And that is the beauty of sport. It never works like that. So, we will be judged after the tournament. At the moment, we are preparing to put ourselves in a very strong position. It is all game by game,” he explained.
He continued: “Because we cannot play the final now. We have not, you know. So, we only can play the one game, the one opposition that is in front of us. We will go all in for that game and slowly build one game at a time. Try to build momentum and then let us see how far we can go in this tournament.
The squad presents a blend of youth and experience, with youngsters such as Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage and Shilanand Lakra joining veterans including skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Hardik Singh. Fulton remarked that the confidence of senior players positively influences the young talents. He stated: “In the mind of youngsters, I think they take their cues from the seniors. You know, if the seniors are feeling very confident in their preparation, it is a lot easier for the younger players to follow suit. I think everyone in this squad wants to write their own piece of Indian World Cup history. That is the opportunity we have here.”
He also referenced the impact of the 2007 film ‘Chak de India’ on the younger players, saying: “And I think with the youngsters following suit, they have all watched Chak de (Chak de India), they have all been part of a history of watching, you know, and being part of wanting to play for India at a major tournament, Olympics, a World Cup, a Commonwealth Games, whatever it is. We have this opportunity now. The team is selected. We are prepared. We want the nation to get behind us.”
