We want Indian hockey team to find its own voice and new ways to grow: Coach Fulton

The tour – also featuring England and Netherlands – will be important given that the same squad will be called upon to decide the team for the Asian Champions Trophy next month.

Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh said that the team’s intensity ‘subconsciously’ reduces when it plays low-raked teams, something it will look to change going ahead. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout/The Hindu

The Indian men’s hockey team will travel to Spain for a four-nation event later this month as part of its preparations for the Asian Champions Trophy and the Asian Games.

Moreover, it will be armed with the much-needed mental training sessions under the newly-appointed Paddy Upton.

Upton spent the last week observing and interacting with the players and the staff and both coach Craig Fulton and captain Harmanpreet Singh sounded satisfied so far.

“It is still in the early stages for us. The main priority for Paddy this week was being on the ground and watching the training, understanding how it works and how it is set up.

We have had a few good sessions and we are trying to identify a new Indian way of how we can do things that haven’t been done before and grow,” Fulton said on Friday, something Harmanpreet agreed with.

“When we play with top-ranking teams, we keep the intensity till the very end and know what both teams can do. But sometimes, with other teams, subconsciously there is a lessening of intensity,” he said.

He explained that, while defeating someone like Australia doesn’t make you the best or invincible, losing to a lower-ranked side doesn’t make you terrible either. “The main thing is to maintain consistency and support each other as individuals and as a team,” he added.

The main objective, Fulton said, was to make players take charge.

“Paddy won’t be the main voice, we are trying to get the team to find its own voice. Champion sides take charge inside and out, we don’t want someone standing outside and shouting instructions and if that person isn’t there, the team can’t function,” he said.

The Spain tour – also featuring England and Netherlands to mark the 100th anniversary of the Spanish hockey federation – will be played in Terrasa from July 25-30 and is important given that the same 24-member squad will be called upon to decide the team for the Asian Champions Trophy next month.

“We could have only 24 in the Pro League so on this tour I will get to see the rest so it will be good exposure. Two more will join us in Chennai before the final 18 is selected but the remaining six players will continue to train with the team,” Fulton said.