Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 20 (ANI): India men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton expressed satisfaction after the team's 13-1 victory over Indonesia in their opening match of the Asian Games 2026, while pointing out areas for improvement ahead of their next encounter.
Speaking in a video shared by Hockey India on X on Sunday, Fulton said the players performed well throughout the four quarters and praised Indonesia for continuing to fight until the final whistle.
"Yeah, happy with the first game. I think the boys did well for the four quarters. Not an easy game. We sat with a lot of possession, obviously. All credit to Indonesia, they kept playing all the way through to the end," Fulton said.
The head coach said India were pleased with the result but acknowledged that the team still has areas to work on.
"At the same time, 13-1, we'll take it for sure. And, we had some good phases and some areas that we can definitely improve and that's what we'll be looking for in the second game against Sri Lanka," he added.
Fulton also highlighted India's strong start to the campaign while admitting that conceding a goal and missing some opportunities were aspects the team would look to address.
"Good start, and some areas to improve in. Obviously conceding a goal and we left a few goals out there, but at the same time, good win and happy with the win," he said.
A strong start, and now the focus shifts to the next challenge. 🇮🇳🏑
Craig Fulton reflects on India’s 13-1 win over Indonesia and looks ahead to the next Asian Games 2026 clash against Sri Lanka on September 22.#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #AsianGames2026 #AichiNagoya2026 pic.twitter.com/VuXNBTS6dm
India men's hockey team began their Asian Games 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion with a 13-1 victory over Indonesia in their Pool A opener at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium. Eight different players found the net for India, with Dilpreet Singh leading the scoring charts with four goals. Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Rajinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh and Jugraj Singh also contributed to the dominant win.
India started strongly as Shilanand Lakra opened the scoring in the sixth minute by converting a rebound from Harmanpreet Singh's saved drag-flick, before Abhishek doubled the lead in the 12th minute. The second quarter saw India take complete control, with Dilpreet scoring twice in quick succession, followed by goals from Rajinder Singh and Mandeep Singh. Harmanpreet then converted a penalty corner in the 28th minute as India went into halftime with a commanding 7-0 lead.
Indonesia managed to score their only goal in the 33rd minute through captain Aulia Al Ardh's penalty corner conversion, but India responded immediately. Lakra scored his second goal, Dilpreet completed his hat-trick, and Sukhjeet Singh added another as India ended the third quarter with a 10-1 advantage.
The defending champions continued their attacking momentum in the final quarter, with Jugraj Singh scoring from a penalty corner, Sukhjeet adding his second goal and Dilpreet completing his four-goal haul to seal a comprehensive 13-1 victory. India will next face Sri Lanka in their second Pool A match on September 22. (ANI)
