Indian Men's Hockey Team coach Craig Fulton is confident about winning the Asia Cup, a title that has eluded India for the past eight years. With the tournament serving as a crucial qualifier for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, the stakes are high for the team. The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29 to September 7.
Fulton has named an experienced 18-member squad, led by veteran drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, emphasizing the importance of experience and the ability to perform under pressure. Hardik Singh will serve as his deputy. According to Fulton, the team was picked for its experience and ability to perform under pressure. He expressed confidence in the squad’s balance, leadership, and unity across all departments. He has preferred to keep the juniors away and stick to a tried and tested group high on experience for the Asia Cup. The Indian team, currently on a four-match tour of Australia, has been largely retained.
India is placed in Pool A along with Japan, China, and Kazakhstan. They will begin their campaign against China on August 29, followed by matches against Japan on August 31 and Kazakhstan on September 1. Fulton is aware of the challenges, stating, "While we are confident of winning, we don't want to take any team lightly". He also expressed his delight over playing in Bihar for the first time, adding, “We are very happy to arrive in Bihar for this prestigious tournament. It is great that international hockey is being hosted here and we want to inspire the people of this region with our game and create more fans for the sport”.
India, the current top side in Asia and a three-time champion, last won the Asia Cup in 2017, defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the final. In the previous edition held in Jakarta, India won the bronze medal. This time, with World Cup qualification at stake, India has brought their best squad to the campaign and will be looking to showcase their A game in Rajgir.
Fulton said, “The team's preparations have been solid for this tournament". "Our approach will be similar to that of Paris Olympics where we began with good wins in the pool stage. We want to start well here, take it game-by-game, build on our momentum". He is also focusing on the Asian Games where they want to be Asia No. 1.
Harmanpreet Singh echoed Fulton's sentiments, saying, “We have never played in Bihar and it's exciting to see that Rajgir is already hosting its second international hockey tournament within a span of one year. This shows the government's intent to support the game and we are looking forward to the love and support of hockey fans here throughout".
Craig Fulton, a South African coach and former field hockey player, took over as the coach of the Indian men's national team. He guided them to an Olympic Bronze Medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He formerly coached the Ireland men's national team and was named the 2015 FIH Men's Coach of the Year. He was also the assistant coach of the Belgium team that won the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup.
