NEW DELHI: With the Asia Cup serving as the final gateway to secure qualification for next year’s Men’s Hockey World Cup, Indian team chief coach Craig Fulton has declared that his side is “putting everything on the line” in the continental championship. India will open their campaign against China on Friday.
Having endured a disappointing European leg in the FIH Pro League, where India failed to seal automatic qualification, the Asia Cup now carries heightened significance. The World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30, 2026.
“This is our flagship event of the year, so we are putting everything in this tournament. We want to grow as the matches progress but the prize is direct qualification, and that’s what we are after,” Fulton said at the pre-match press conference. “If we qualify here, we will have a full year’s programme set. Our aim is to be No.1 in Asia, and we will be pushing hard over the next 10 days.”
India last lifted the Asia Cup title in 2017 in Dhaka, while in the previous edition they had to settle for bronze. Fulton, who has been focusing on addressing shortcomings exposed during the Pro League, said the squad is prepared for the challenge.
“We had close matches in Europe, but couldn’t finish strongly in the fourth quarter. We created chances but were not efficient with penalty corners or field goals,” he admitted. “We worked on converting opportunities, tactical play to enter the ‘D’ more often, and defensive consistency. You can’t win if you score and concede at the same rate.”
With a World Cup berth at stake, Fulton chose experience over experimentation. “It would not be wise to expose young players in a qualifying tournament. We need experience to get through, and then we’ll have a year to blood youngsters,” he explained.
To strengthen the mental side, India have once again roped in renowned mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who was instrumental during the Paris Olympics build-up. “Paddy is connecting with individual players, focusing on mental approach and mindset. At this stage, it’s critical to channel our resources for qualification,” Fulton added.
