India Secures World Cup Berth, Prioritizes Strengthening Squad Depth

On a leisurely Sunday evening, Craig Fulton, content and relaxed, was found strolling the blue turf of the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium. Engaged in a video call with his family in Ireland, he had just led India to clinch the Asia Cup title.

For the past two years, India has dominated the continent and entered the Asia Cup as the favorite. Despite a shaky start, they grew stronger throughout the tournament, securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. “It was important to get it out of the way, right?” Fulton remarked to HT.

Fulton’s team now sets its sights on two major targets set approximately a year from now: the World Cup and the Asian Games. With Fulton’s recent success with India, there’s a significant expectation for a World Cup medal, a feat the country hasn’t achieved since 1975. Shortly after the World Cup come the Asian Games, which double as the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Every tournament leading up to these events will focus on strengthening the team.

“We’re in the process of refining our team. Hockey’s power is dominated by Europe and Australia, and we aim to develop depth to compete against them. That’s our primary goal,” shared Fulton.

Fulton has around 11 months to experiment and refine his strategies. The calendar includes the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in November, a South African tour in December, followed by the Hockey India League (HIL) in January, and the ongoing Pro League leading to the World Cup and Asian Games.

While Fulton refrained from criticizing performances at the Pro League and the start of the Asia Cup, Hockey India (HI) president Dilip Tirkey emphasized performance monitoring, aiming to select the best possible team for the World Cup.

“Players’ performances, especially at home or against Asian counterparts, are crucial. If standards aren’t met, it could raise questions about player selection. Decisions will be made to ensure team performance isn’t compromised,” stressed the former India captain.

Tirkey added, “The Junior World Cup and HIL performances will help us evaluate players. The lackluster performance after the 2023 World Cup led us to reevaluate and make significant changes, which we will continue if necessary.”

Young talents could be fast-tracked to the senior team if they excel in the Junior World Cup. HIL in January will also serve as a selection ground for the main squad.

During the Asia Cup, selectors made strategic choices, such as omitting seasoned Olympians Gurjant Singh and Shamsher Singh in favor of Dilpreet Singh and Shilanand Lakra, who both performed outstandingly.

“If senior players underperform, we must act. We have promising juniors growing steadily. Looking towards LA 2028, we must prepare and expose our juniors. With Craig’s guidance, India has become a more structured team, and he has our unwavering support,” noted Tirkey.

Fulton is focused on enhancing team depth for future challenges. “The team is incredibly intelligent. Once we commit, we follow through with extensive preparation on both opposition and self-assessment. Deepening our squad is our top priority, and we’re making strides towards it,” he concluded.

The team will take a brief 20-day break before reconvening in Bengaluru on September 28.