After guiding India to a historic second consecutive bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, head coach Craig Fulton faces a new challenge: preparing his team for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy in China. Despite the team’s recent celebrations, Fulton remains focused on the task at hand.
Reflecting on the Paris campaign, Fulton expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. Despite falling short of their ultimate goal of a gold medal, he praised the team’s resilience and determination. He highlighted the team’s strong performance in the pool stage and their impressive victory over Australia in the group stage.
Fulton believes the team’s success in Paris was a result of a well-structured preparation process. He emphasized the importance of the team’s warm-up matches against Holland, Great Britain, and Germany, which provided valuable experience and helped them fine-tune their tactics.
When asked about the team’s best performers in Paris, Fulton declined to single out any individuals, emphasizing the collective effort required in a team sport. He acknowledged the contributions of Harmanpreet Singh, who scored 10 goals, but stressed that his success was made possible by the entire team’s efforts.
Looking ahead to the Asian Champions Trophy, Fulton acknowledged the challenge of replacing goalkeeper Sreejesh. However, he expressed confidence in the abilities of Pathak and Suraj Karkera, who will be the goalkeepers for the tournament. He also highlighted the importance of building depth in the squad and giving younger players opportunities to prove themselves.
Despite the short turnaround time between the Olympics and the Asian Champions Trophy, Fulton remains optimistic about the team’s chances. He emphasized the team’s desire to defend their title and their commitment to preparing thoroughly for the tournament.
