There have been occasions over the previous yr when it felt coach Craig Fulton had a variety of foodstuff to whip up a pleasant meal however he opted for only a scrambled egg. Nothing fancy.
For months, the South African gave an impression of doing simply that with a staff of gifted gamers. Turning the speedy, skillful Indians who favored heavy-metal hockey into gradual machines who have been stripped of all the journey and instinctiveness. They turned borderline boring.
Who, besides Fulton and his staff, knew he was saving his greatest dish for the large Parisian feast? He dropped a number of hints alongside the way in which.
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Consecutive bronze medals for staff India, we defeat Spain within the Bronze Medal match.
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In Rourkela through the FIH Professional League earlier this yr, Fulton had mentioned how he was holding the staff’s strings, ‘holding it longer and little longer earlier than releasing them on the proper time’. On the time, it felt like a kind of theoretical issues coaches like speaking about. However, because the Paris Olympics bronze medal — the second successive podium end after 40 years of exile — confirmed, Fulton was a person with a plan.
All through this marketing campaign, India modified their colors greater than a chameleon, exhibiting a special facet to themselves each time they stepped on the sphere of the fabled Stade Yves du Manoir.
Thriller-box problem
India performed as if each match was a thriller field problem for his or her opponents.
After an iffy begin, they revealed their first card towards Belgium by elevating the depth but in addition by no means shedding their defensive form, conscious of the threats the structurally sturdy, unforgiving dethroned Olympic champions possessed.
Again-to-back medal victories secured by the Indian Hockey staff within the Olympics! 🥉😍
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The subsequent morning, they turned up as a special unit, preventing fireplace with fireplace as unexpectedly, Fulton liberated his gamers. The 5 video games in Australia earlier this yr, and the handfuls earlier than that, had given him a way that solely defending wouldn’t minimize it towards a facet that constantly spanked India.
From irresistible attacking towards Australia, they went to ultra-defensive towards Britain, producing a efficiency for the ages. Those that have seen India would know that, till not so way back, an Indian defence with even 22 our bodies in entrance of purpose would make a mistake and permit a purpose.
Right here, with one participant much less — there was a degree at the beginning of the fourth quarter when two Indians have been suspended — India showcased a defensive masterclass. They defended deep, the final line was inside a handshake distance of goalkeeper Sreejesh, and bravely stopped Britain from having clear-cut pictures at purpose.
Then got here Germany, who have been rattled by India’s early onslaught. In hindsight, India ought to have wrapped up the sport within the first half itself. However the excessive press they employed — India below Fulton had largely performed a half-court press — was one other aspect to this staff.
It’s been uncommon to see an Indian staff previously that has had this stage of tactical flexibility and flexibility. The 2 components which have held again Indian hockey — which knew just one method to play, assault — for many years.
When Fulton took over from Graham Reid, the Australian who masterminded India’s return to the Olympic podium after 4 many years, final yr, he did two issues.
The primary was to introduce totally different choices for taking part in hockey, with various kinds for every opposition. He had been engaged on it for a yr. This was to try to convey a component of unpredictability to the staff.
INDIA WIN THE BRONZE MEDAL IN HOCKEY AT #Paris2024! 🏑 🥉
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The sooner Indian groups have been unpredictable, too; in that, they have been erratic and one by no means knew which facet of the mattress they’d get up on. Fulton taught the gamers the best way to change the patterns of play, and seamlessly change ways mid-game.
He used all of the matches within the final yr — besides the Asian Video games — to get the staff used to his alternative ways, examine the opponents they performed and draw a plan of the best way to face them in Paris.
Sports activities psychologist Paddy Upton, who’s in Fulton’s backroom workers, advised The Indian Specific: “We’ve been on a really deliberate, acutely aware studying journey. At all times, actually each sport we play, each assembly we’ve had within the final yr, we’ve been speaking about this as making ready us for the Olympic second.”
The South African thoughts gave an instance of how India defeated Australia for the primary time within the Olympics after 52 years. When the staff travelled Down Underneath in April, they misplaced the collection 5-0. However Fulton wasn’t involved concerning the consequence, in accordance with Upton.
“For us, it wasn’t a lot about profitable these video games or beating Australia in Australia. It was understanding Australia’s sport, understanding them higher, higher understanding their mindset, understanding their psyche, and creating plans that once we meet Australia when it actually counts, we now have it sufficient to have the ability to counter them and hit them,” Upton mentioned.
The second massive Fulton intervention wasn’t immediately by himself, however it was his persistence to get Upton on board.
Trendy sport can be psychological warfare, with psychological energy accounting for as a lot as, if no more, than technical skills. The hockey staff, the place insecurities run deep, has for many years lagged on this entrance.
In his exit interview, former coach Reid highlighted the significance of getting a full-time psychological conditioning coach for them to take the following step. Fulton had requested Upton to hitch him in earlier assignments with the Irish and Belgian nationwide groups. Each occasions, Upton rejected it. However the prospect of returning to India — Upton was a part of Gary Kirsten’s backroom workers when India gained the 2011 Cricket World Cup — appealed to him.
His distinctive strategies and pep talks have had an immediate affect on the gamers, who look extra assured and fewer prone to crumble in strain conditions.
The bronze, though a reminder that there’s nonetheless quite a bit to enhance, is an affirmation that India has claimed a everlasting seat within the massive boys’ membership of world hockey — coach Fulton’s chef’s kiss second.