Despite securing a 4-3 victory against China in their opening match of the Asia Cup, the Indian men's hockey team's head coach, Craig Fulton, expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance. The coach emphasized the importance of starting the campaign with a win but highlighted the need for significant improvements.

India, ranked seventh in the world, were expected to dominate against the 23rd-ranked China. However, the match proved to be a tougher contest than anticipated, with India narrowly edging out their opponents. Fulton acknowledged that while the first half showed promise with good positioning, errors were made. He pointed out missed opportunities and "soft goals" conceded as areas of concern.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh, who successfully converted three penalty corners but missed a penalty stroke, echoed Fulton's sentiments. He stressed the importance of learning from the match and reinforcing their defensive strategies. Singh acknowledged the team's fighting spirit but admitted that their performance fell short of expectations.

The match saw Jugraj Singh also scoring for India. China's goals came from Shihao Du, Benhal Chen, and Jiesheng Gao. The game was closely contested, with China leveling the score at 3-3 before Harmanpreet Singh's final goal sealed the win for India. India squandered numerous chances, including a penalty stroke, and converted only four out of 11 penalty corners.

Fulton cautioned against underestimating any opponent in the tournament, emphasizing that every team would be raising their level against India, the highest-ranked and favored team. He said that they need to be prepared for that challenge. He also added that winning is what counts.

The Asia Cup serves as India's opportunity to secure a direct qualification for the World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands next year. India had a dismal performance in the European leg of the FIH Pro League, which increased the importance of the Asia Cup. Fulton admitted that the Asia Cup is the most important tournament of the year.

India's recent performance in the FIH Pro League has been a cause for concern, marked by consecutive losses and defensive lapses. Errors from senior players and late-game goals have plagued the team. Fulton has been experimenting with different tactics, but he needs his experienced players to support his plans.

Despite the concerns, Fulton expressed confidence in India's chances of winning the Asia Cup title. He said that the team's preparation has been solid and that they would approach the tournament with a game-by-game strategy. He also stated that the team is aware that it has been eight years since India last won the title.