There isn’t a scope for the Indian males’s hockey group to relaxation on its laurels after the bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympics, and it’s as much as the gamers to make sure that they develop the required consistency to maintain bettering as people and as a gaggle, new head coach Craig Fulton mentioned on Tuesday.
The rostrum end on the final Video games got here after a 41-year wait and there was a lot reduction and celebration when the lengthy drought got here to an finish. However Fulton emphasised that it might’t stay a one-off achievement. The next massive occasion, the Hockey World Cup on house soil, noticed India bow out of competition earlier than the quarterfinal stage.
“If the gamers don’t wish to enhance on the bronze medal, there’s not a lot I can do as a coach,” the South African mentioned. “One must develop the assumption and consistency to keep up the ‘Olympic Customary’ that they’ve set.”
All of it comes all the way down to the tradition and atmosphere of a gaggle, Fulton, who has labored with the Belgian and Irish set-ups earlier than taking up the India job, mentioned in a web based media interplay.
“It will depend on the accountability, teamwork and management within the group. The gamers have to raise one another and preserve the required spirit. They should maintain one another on their toes. Iron sharpens iron.”
India’s performances since Tokyo have been fairly erratic. The early ouster from the house World Cup was a debacle, and value head coach Graham Reid his job. However the show in FIH Professional League video games in opposition to Germany and Australia, during which India remained unbeaten, was a lift in confidence, and are on the prime of the factors desk in that event.
These video games have been performed with excessive efficiency director David John stepping in on an interim foundation. It’s been simply two and a half weeks since Fulton took over on the nationwide camp on the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru.
Drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, will proceed to guide the group within the subsequent spherical of video games because the group travels to Europe – first to London to face Nice Britain and Belgium twice every, after which to Eindhoven to tackle hosts the Netherlands and Argentina in a few matches apiecep. The defender skilled the excessive of Tokyo, however harassed that there was no query of being glad and the gamers needed extra.
“We keep in camps for nearly the entire yr as a result of we wish to obtain greater than what we’ve got beforehand. We wish to maintain bettering and positively don’t wish to get right into a consolation zone,” he mentioned.
Conventional weaknesses
Inconsistency has been the bane of Indian hockey for many years, however Fulton mentioned it was a difficulty with most sides.
“It’s a giant downside for everybody, not simply India. Groups intention to win back-to-back matches in massive tournaments, quarterfinals and semifinals, and some dangerous minutes can put a aspect out. It’s essential to have our greatest sport on the finish.”
Psychological fragility at key moments of huge matches has been one other disadvantage of the group for a very long time, and the brand new coach mentioned there was some motion to deal with that weak spot. “I’ve been in dialog with Hockey India and seeking to fill that hole in our preparation. It’s a precedence space and we’re busy on it,” Fulton mentioned.
Harmanpreet made no secret of the sensation {that a} psychological conditioning coach or psychologist – no matter designation one makes use of to explain the skilled – will assist the gamers.
“The group will certainly profit because the specialist will analyse the mentality of the gamers and assist them enhance. It additionally will depend on how lengthy the skilled is with the group,” the 27-year-old mentioned.
Speaking about the place he sees the Indian group in the intervening time and the place he goals to take them, Fulton, 48, mentioned there was work to do.
“We’re an excellent aspect, not the perfect aspect. Ideally, we ought to be aiming on the gold medal, however there’s a hole between us and the highest two groups on the planet. Within the quick and medium time period, we have to be the No.1 group in Asia constantly, and attain the rostrum in whichever event we play. Initially, we have to win the Asian Video games gold medal to qualify immediately for the Paris Olympics, and all our matches earlier than the Asiad can be geared with that purpose in thoughts.
“India could be very tough to play in opposition to at house, and usually wherever in Asia. However as a lot of the massive tournaments within the subsequent few years are scheduled exterior the continent, we have to develop into higher abroad,” Fulton mentioned.
‘Defend to win’
Each coach comes together with his personal philosophy concerning the sport, and Fulton’s relies on energy from the backline.
“Defend to win – that’s my teaching fashion. It’s step one to win the ball again and launch a counter-attack. One can make use of a excessive press provided that there’s stability on the again. The Indian group has obtained good strikers and it takes time to imprint an ideology whereas harnessing the innate DNA of a aspect. Anyway, we don’t have time to make any massive adjustments. No matter fashion one employs, the gamers have to be composed sufficient to execute it,” he mentioned.
Teaching the Indian hockey group is likely one of the most high-profile jobs within the sport, however comes with its personal pressures and expectations. The attrition fee of coaches has traditionally been very excessive, however the newest appointee is speaking an excellent sport.
“It’s one of many hardest jobs in hockey however I anticipate to do nicely. I’m very optimistic. I wish to work on initiatives, and this can be a completely totally different state of affairs to what I had in Eire or Belgium. I take pleasure in assembly and dealing with individuals,” the South African added. “The gamers have to have a flame inside them, a never-say-die perspective which says: ‘We by no means lose, we simply run out of time.’”