India's men's hockey coach Craig Fulton admitted his team could have performed better despite securing a 3-2 victory over Japan and a spot in the Asia Cup Super 4s. The win was less than convincing for the home side, which dominated the first half but then struggled to maintain its lead in the second.
Fulton, whose position has been under scrutiny following the team's disappointing performance in the Hockey Pro League, acknowledged the mixed display. "It was a really good first half. We did a high press really well," he said. However, he lamented the team's missed opportunities, stating, "We could have scored 2-3 more goals... but then you make 1-2 mistakes late on, and that’s not good from us." He also called a yellow card given to the team captain in the final minutes "frustrating for everyone."
The coach attributed the drop in intensity during the second half to the sweltering heat and humidity in Rajgir, noting that matches at 1 and 3 in the afternoon are "super difficult." He expressed his relief that the team's remaining matches will be played under lights at 7:30 pm, which he believes will make a "huge difference" in their performance.
Despite the recent criticism, Fulton has the backing of Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, who has dismissed any doubts about the coach's future. Tirkey highlighted Fulton's past achievements, including a bronze medal at the Asian Games, and stated that he believes Fulton can "change things around" with proper preparation.
Looking ahead, Fulton confirmed that the team's ultimate goal remains to win the World Cup and an Olympic gold medal. However, he emphasized a one-game-at-a-time approach for the present tournament, stating that the team will focus on being "proactive and pressing" to dictate the play and capitalize on more scoring opportunities. The team will play its final Pool A game against Kazakhstan on Monday, with a spot in the World Cup at stake.
