The coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, Craig Fulton, has emphasized that qualifying for the World Cup through the FIH Hockey Pro League is a top priority. As the team prepares for the European phase of the tournament, they currently sit in third place, just one point behind England and Belgium, both of whom have 16 points.
Winning the Pro League guarantees a spot in the World Cup. However, with Belgium and the Netherlands already qualifying as hosts, and Germany as the defending champions, India is keen to secure their place by finishing high in the standings. In a virtual press conference, Fulton remarked that while the team could still qualify by winning the Asia Cup, their main goal is to improve their position in the Pro League.
Fulton stated, “It’s clear that securing qualification through the Pro League is a priority for us. If that doesn’t work out, we have the Asia Cup in August in Bihar, India. We’ve been training well and want to finish as high as possible.”
With Australia, the Netherlands, and Belgium already qualified as hosts, the next highest team could also secure a spot in the World Cup, according to Fulton.
### Focused on Every Game
India’s European journey kicks off with two matches against the Netherlands on June 7 and 9, followed by games against Argentina on June 11 and 12 in Amstelveen. They will then head to Antwerp to face Australia on June 14 and 15, and Belgium on June 21 and 22.
Fulton mentioned that while the team aims to earn maximum points from each match, they are taking a focused approach, focusing on one game at a time. “We’ve already faced some strong teams like Spain, Germany, England, and Ireland. Now, we are set to take on more challenges in Europe,” he explained.
He added, “We are looking at things one game at a time, aiming for maximum points. Our focus is on tomorrow’s game, and we need to be ready for it. With 24 players available, we’ll rotate to keep the team fresh over the eight matches ahead.”
Sharing his excitement about facing various teams, Fulton emphasized, “Our primary focus right now is just the game tomorrow.”
