After four losses at home, the Indian team will compete in the Australian leg of FIH Pro League in Hobart
India’s men’s hockey coach Graig Fulton’s main goal this year is to peak at the right time. The FIH Pro League in February, the South African hockey expert believes is part of the development plan as it gives him an opportunity to test young players to prepare for the Asian Games in September.
The hockey expert doesn’t read too much about India’s overall performance in the Rourkela leg of FIH Pro League. The home team lost all the four matches against Belgium and Argentina. The 0-8 defeat in the first leg against Argentina was the worst performance by the Indian team in recent times, but Fulton believes the match was part of the buildup towards Asian Games.
“The plan for 2026 is to compete at the World Cup, but win the Asian Games,” Fulton told media on the sidelines of the FIH Pro League in Rourkela.
The winner of the 2026 Asian Games hockey title will automatically earn a ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. If all goes according to plan, Fulton will have enough time at hand to concentrate on building his squad for the 2028 LA Olympics.
Immediately after the Rourkela leg, the Indian hockey team packed their bags to travel to Australia for the second leg of the FIH Pro League in Hobart. It will be a tiresome 35 odd hours journey from Rourkela to the Australian continent, but it will be another platform for Fulton to test the mettle of the young players in the team.
In the middle of Rourkela leg of FIH Pro League, a small group of players had already left for Australia to get acclimatized to Hobart time zone, which hints that Fulton is bit serious about the Australian leg of FIH Pro League.
Injury to Indian skipper
Harmanpreet Singh, who was a shadow of his former self during the Rourkela leg of FIH Pro League, might have to undergo rehab programme to bounce back as he is nursing a shoulder injury.
The Indian skipper, it is learnt, got injured during 2025 Hockey India domestic league and is yet to recover. If he continues to compete without a break or proper rehab, it looks doubtful whether he will be at his peak during the Asian Games in September in Japan.
EOM
