New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): Ahead of his side's Asian Games 2026 campaign, Indian men's hockey head coach Craig Fulton spoke on the team's "enlightening" bonding camp at Mount Fuji after a dissappointing FIH Hockey World Cup, with the team having identified several problems and learnt several lessons that need to be turned into action.
The Asian Games 2026 are around the corner, and the Indian men’s hockey team has turned the page, shifting its focus firmly towards Japan. Following a challenging FIH Hockey World Cup campaign where India finished eighth, the team will now look to regroup and defend its Asian Games gold medal — a title that also carries the added significance of securing direct qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Already in Japan, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side is fine-tuning its preparations ahead of Sunday’s opening match against Indonesia. Amid a busy schedule, Chief Coach Craig Fulton took time out to shed light on the team’s preparations, mindset and approach to the challenge ahead.
Speaking on his team's bonding camp at Mount Fuji ahead of the tournament, with their campaign starting from Sunday against Indonesia, Fulton said, "We did not have much time between the World Cup and the Asian Games, but we are really excited to get going again. I think starting it with a difficult but very, very enlightening experience where you go to a different part of the world (Mount Fuji) where we have not all been together before and experience something like that, it just helps the guys really focus on the team and not just the individual pursuit. That is exactly what we are trying to improve and enhance."
Reflecting on the team's eighth place finish in the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, he said that there were lessons, and turning them into "lessons learned is to turn these learnings into action".
"That is what we have got to do now. We have discussed everything, gone through everything and highlighted areas needing improvement. At the same time, it is now about action after all the training we're doing as we line up for our first game on Sunday," he said.
Fulton, on being asked how the team treats often-easy pool stage fixtures for the knockout phase, said that they respect all the oppositions they play and give their 100 per cent no matter what.
On the chance to defend their gold medal, something that has not ever happened in Indian hockey's rich history, Fulton said that the first goal remains to top their pool.
"I think it's very different. It is still the Asian Games, but it is just a totally different context because we had Asian Champions Trophy in India before we played the last Asian Games (in 2023). So, we had played all those Asian teams before we played the Asian Games. Now we have played the World Cup before the Asian Games. But it does not really change anything. We take it as one game at a time, and we have got all our focus on ourselves, not really worrying about anyone else. We want to try and top our pool, and that is our first goal," he signed off.
India is a part of Pool A alongside hosts Japan, the Republic of Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. (ANI)
"Trying to improve, enhance team, not just individual pursuit": Fulton ahead of Indian men's hockey campaign at Asian Games 2026
