Craig Fulton Reflects on India’s Journey and Pro League Lessons

The European leg of the FIH Pro League was anticipated to secure the Indian men’s hockey team a spot in the 2026 World Cup. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of their least successful campaigns in recent memory, with seven consecutive losses and an eighth-place finish in the nine-team league, narrowly avoiding relegation.

Indian forwards delivered well, with the penalty corner (PC) unit having a decent conversion rate of 20.25%. In four out of the seven losses, India initially took the lead, including a 2-0 advantage against Australia. Still, they lost seven of their eight games, six by one goal.

“Our performance was disappointing considering our expectations. Reflecting back, it boiled down to small moments in every game that did not go as planned. Yet, we were competitive and capable of drawing or even winning some matches, which was frustrating,” stated India’s chief coach, Craig Fulton, from Eindhoven, where India A is on an eight-game European tour.

“We had a break to reflect and identify improvement areas. Minor details such as small moments, restarts, defending, out-letting under pressure, and PC defense and attack are crucial. We have a strategy to enhance these areas, and we generally excel in them. For some reason, it just did not work out this time.”

Although the Pro League is an elite event, teams often utilize it to test tactics and players. During the February home leg, the South African team tried a man-to-man system. In Europe, they attempted a new zonal system, which was unsuccessful. However, Fulton remains unworried.

“Our experimentation has equipped us with both systems now, which is beneficial for reflection and discovery. Despite the seven losses, it was a challenging period. Often, we couldn’t sustain the momentum from the first half through to the fourth quarter,” said Fulton, noting he guided India to an Olympic bronze in Paris.

“One or two mistakes would result in losing by a goal. However, I believe in the mantra ‘you win or you learn.’ It is essential to transform tough lessons into improvements. We need to ensure we excel in these areas.”

Fulton referenced last year’s Australia tour, where India suffered a 0-5 defeat but later triumphed in the Olympics against Australia for the first time in 52 years, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes.

“Enduring five consecutive losses isn’t pleasant, but transforming lessons into tangible improvements makes it worthwhile. It exposes weaknesses that must be addressed to avoid them impacting major tournaments in the future.”

With the Pro League opportunity passed, the next chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup is the Asia Cup, taking place from August 27 to September 7 in Rajgir. India has been dominant in recent years, clinching the 2023 Asian Games and Asian Champions Trophy titles in both 2023 and 2024.

“Our priority for the year is to remain the No. 1 team in Asia. We face strong contenders vying for direct qualification, demanding respect for all opponents. Our focus is on improving from the Pro League and returning to winning ways,” remarked Fulton, who is leading the team to a training camp and friendly matches in Australia prior to the Asia Cup.