Craig Fulton hints at a major overhaul of the Indian team ahead of LA 2028

Indian men’s hockey team head coach Craig Fulton has hinted that the team could undergo major changes as it begins its transition to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, with a new squad to be selected for the Pro League home leg in February.

India will face Germany, Argentina, Great Britain and Spain in the home rematch. Fulton said the coaching staff will take advantage of the opportunity to bring in a new group of players as the team looks to build toward the next Olympic cycle.

“In January (February), we will select a new team for the Pro League. There is very little time for training as the players will return to their franchises. We will name a new team to play in the Pro League and then start the 2027-28 cycle with that team,” Fulton told PTI.

India will first travel to New Zealand this month for a three-match international Test series as part of the country’s centenary celebrations to mark 100 years since India’s first hockey tour to the country in 1926. The matches will be played in Auckland on November 19, 21 and 22.

Fulton said the squad for the tour of New Zealand had not yet been finalized and would be announced in the coming days. He added that India will assess its options after the tour before deciding on a new core group.

“That is what we will assess after New Zealand. We will pick a new core group and a new team after this tour,” the South African coach said.

FULTON LOOKS FOR IMPROVEMENT

India have already made several changes to their team in recent years. Fulton pointed out that the team that competed in the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai was different from the team that appeared in 2024 in Hulunbuir. Nine players changed from the previous squad.

The move comes after a mixed year for Indian hockey. Harmanpreet Singh’s side endured a disappointing World Cup campaign, finishing eighth, but responded by retaining the Asian Games title and securing direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics.

Fulton believes India need to address their shortcomings against stronger opposition, particularly in European sides. While the team has been effective against Asian opponents, their performances against higher-ranked teams need to improve.

“We didn’t score goals when we needed to in the big games (at the World Cup) and we conceded some soft goals. So our defense and attack have to improve,” he said.

“Against Asian opposition, our ability to score and defend is good. But against European opposition and higher-ranked teams, we still need to improve.”

Fulton stressed that the focus was not on identifying individual players to blame, but on improving the team’s approach in high-pressure games.

“We’re looking at both offense and defense. But at this stage it’s not about identifying a particular player. It’s about mindset and mentality in big games. All players make mistakes and all players play well.”

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