CHENNAI: Craig Fulton has been in charge of the Indian men's hockey team for more than six months now. With the Paris Olympics some seven months away, he sits in a unique position to reflect on that promising journey, which saw India lift the Asian Champions Trophy and secure the Olympics quota with a gold medal in the Asian Games — sure, they were expected to win both, but marrying expectation and results is something the men's team have struggled to do in the past — and excitement of the carrot dangling in front of him and the team.
"I think the last six months have been good," Fulton said on the sidelines of the senior national championship in Chennai. "It's been tough because we had three big tournaments, including qualification for the Olympics, so it wasn't easy. I'm glad that we have got the qualification. I have learned a lot about how things work in India, specifically within the training environment and the squad. So that's good information going forward."
The 48-year-old South African started his stint in May this year and one of the earliest additions to his coaching staff was his fellow countryman, mental health and conditioning coach, Paddy Upton. Fulton believes Upton's inclusion helped the Indian team deal with expectations and, at the same time, gave the national team coach enough space to build trust between coaching staff and players. "With Paddy, it just helps some of the players to become a little bit more mentally aware that they can ask questions. He has given them mental skills to help deal with certain expectations. Playing hockey in India is totally different from playing hockey outside of India. It's two different worlds. So there are two different skill sets that you need to manage," he added.
All those inputs from Upton helped in more than one way. With the Asian Champions Trophy at home, players were well-prepared to handle the pressure, but more importantly, they were more open to asking questions. The doors of conversation under Fulton opened both ways and it helped them build that trust within the group earlier in his stint as a coach. "(Building trust), that's part of my DNA as a coach. If we don't have that, we don't have anything really. So there was always that need to build up that trust, first by bringing in good staff, which helped the players realize what environment we were trying to create and then they can feel the trust within it. And obviously, there needs to be healthy competition as well to move forward. But at the same time, you need to have that trust to ask questions if you're struggling with certain things. And that's ok."
His approach has been well-received by the players as well. Krishan Pathak, India's goalkeeper had nothing but praise for the coach when he spoke with the Daily before the senior national tournament. "He has been supportive from the get-go. He is very communicative with players and seeks feedback from us and that has helped us. Even before starting these tournaments, he told us that we were going to approach the tours step-by-step. And now the next step in that direction is Paris," Pathak praised the coach.
With all roads leading to the Paris Olympics, the talks are about improving the colour of the medal in the marquee event. Fulton is well aware of how tough that task is and how much pressure the team will need to endure, but he has simplified it for the team. "No, it's not pressure. Just focus. I mean, my expectation for me as a coach in any tournament you play is to win, but you have a realistic objective and an ideal one, the ideal one is to win gold and the realistic one is where we ranked. We ranked third in the world. So realistically, the objective is to try and get higher up than the pecking order to number two or number one in the world in the next six months. How difficult is that? It's incredibly difficult. So there are these stepping stones all the way through," he mentioned.
The stepping stones Fulton mentioned include the five nations tor starting in Spain starting from 15 December, which will include the likes of France and World Cup finalists, Belgium and Germany. It would certainly pose a big challenge for Fulton's team, but that is where the team will be tested in the foreign conditions. At the same time, it will be another test of Fulton's 'Deep Defence' approach, which he believes has provided India with more options than before. "I think it's given them another way to play and I think that's important because you need a few different levels and a few different ways of playing different opposition. I'm not saying everyone plays the same way. So certain teams, you can play that same way, no problem, but in the case of other teams not. And as long as we have that variability in our game and game plan and the guys feel confident to do it, then it makes sense. We have shown in the last three months that it's starting to take shape, but we need to just continue the process."
The process Fulton has been so keen on doesn't stop with the Five Nations tournament or even with the Paris Olympics. With the FIH Pro League in February 2024, where India will face the likes of the Netherlands and Australia, he believes the ambition of the team will help them achieve another goal of directly qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. "The thing I like the most is the ambition of the group. They want to progress and do more. And we have a golden opportunity to do it now, but it's not just about Paris. I need to say it as well because there's more. The winner of the Pro League qualifies for the World Cup straight away. So that's 2026. So there will be some players that are in the squad that won't play in Paris that will be eligible and probably ready to play the next cycle. So it's always about knowing where you are but having a goal through a goal."
This 'having a goal through a goal' mantra even continued during the senior national tournament, when Fulton conducted a coaching session for head coaches of state units during the tournament, where he spoke about strategic game management to the score, effective player management considering the demanding schedule and many other aspects. For those coaches of the state unit, it was the highlight of their time in Chennai. "As a player and coach of national teams, he has been exceptional. We got that clarity on how we should better our training sessions or playing methods through interactions. So once the national-level players go to India camp or play for India, he doesn't have to work too much with them. The players already know what they are required to do. Hockey is changing rapidly and our learning never stops. So, I hope we get more opportunities to interact with coaches like him," Mukesh Kumar, head coach of Haryana, told this daily.
Even with his short spell with the Indian team, Fulton has made a difference on more than one front. His biggest test is still six months away, but from the recent evidence, his team will approach it, while enjoying the most. As their coach says, "If you're not enjoying what you're doing, why are you even doing it? As long as we create a healthy and competitive environment, and an ambitious one, everyone gets excited about playing for India. I mean, it's just a good place to be."