Newly-appointed Indian men's hockey team coach Craig Fulton has finally arrived in the country and is more than excited to join the team who are training at Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Bengaluru.
Speaking on his arrival, the 2015 FIH coach of the year sounded quite thrilled with the opportunity and he can't wait to join the team on Saturday.
However, he will have to get down to business quite quickly because the team will travel to Europe to take on Belgium, Great Britain, Netherlands, and Argentina in the remaining matches of FIH Pro League later next month.
"We don't have much time because the first FIH Hockey Men's Pro League 2022-23 games are only just over three weeks away. There is lots of hockey in the next few months in the build-up to Asian Games 2023. So, yes, I am really excited and look forward to getting started," said Fulton in a statement released by Hockey India.
Meanwhile, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh believes Fulton's arrival will breathe a fresh lease of life into the team and give the players a lot of confidence.
"We are looking forward to playing under the guidance of our new chief coach. His arrival ahead of FIH men's hockey Pro League matches in Europe is a confidence booster for us. The team will continue to focus on our strength and work on putting up a good show in the upcoming tournaments," Harmanpreet said.
The team, which disappointed during World Cup earlier this year, no doubt put on a dominating display during the Pro League matches in Rourkela in March and will hope to continue their good show in Europe and then in Asian Games.
For Fulton, though, it will be a big challenge but he does bring with him a coaching experience of nearly 25 years during which time he achieved a lot of accolades.
Rourkela to host Pro League matches in 2024: Rourkela is all set to host the Indian leg of the fifth edition of FIH Pro League in February next year. The mini tournament, seven of which will be held from end of this year to mid-2024, will run from February 10-25.
Meanwhile, the winners of the next edition of the tournament will get a direct entry into the women's and men's World Cup to be held in 2026. Also, with promotion and relegation to be applied for the first time from next season, Indian women's team and Ireland men's team will play in the tournament from next season while the last team in the league this season will be eliminated.
While Rourkela will host one of the legs, the opening mini tournament will be played in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, from December 6-11 this year.
