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Paris Olympics: Tightening the defence key to India’s hockey success
Craig Fulton's 'defend to win' tactic is set for a real test as India begins their Olympic campaign in Paris, aiming for consecutive medals after 52 years.
Craig Fulton’s tactic of ‘defend to win’ has been the overarching topic of discussion in Indian hockey ever since the chief coach joined the national setup a little more than a year ago.
The strategy will finally undergo its real test over the next two weeks as India begin their Olympic campaign in Paris – they face New Zealand in the opener on Saturday – in a bid to win successive medals at the Games for the first time in 52 years.
But to do that, Harmanpreet Singh and Co will have to beat the best in the business at the biggest stage of them all. The world No.7 outfit will need to overcome teams like No.1 Netherlands, India’s bogey team Australia, reigning champions Belgium and world champions Germany among others to finish on the podium at Stade Yves-du-Manoir on August 8.
“If we keep our defence strong, then we can finish on the podium. Our strikers are experienced and good so goal scoring shouldn’t be a problem but we need to keep our defence tight. We will for sure score goals but not giving them away is what will prove to be the defining thing for us,” says former India forward and Olympian SV Sunil.
While India performed well in the home leg of the 2023-24 Pro League, in Antwerp and London, the Fulton coached side leaked goals, especially in the final quarter, to lose four out of eight games, while drawing and winning two each. The results meant that India finished seventh out of nine teams, scoring 18 goals but conceding 21. During the disastrous tour of Australia in April, India were whitewashed 5-0 by the hosts as they scored seven but conceded a whopping 17 goals.
“We saw in the Pro League that we conceded a lot of goals. The European leg didn’t go well, we lost many matches. But if we defend better results will be better. India have quality players, they just need to keep it simple, not do anything extraordinary and follow the coach’s plan,” added Sunil.
While the Olympic bronze medallists will need to tighten the back line, their strikers will too need to make the most of the limited opportunities they get in the French capital.
“It will be all about converting the opportunities. You will not get many and if you need too many chances to score you will not win these matches,” says former India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne.
“In the preparation for the Olympics, Australia played Netherlands in a practice match. They entered the striking circle seven times and beat Netherlands 6-1. From seven chances, they scored six times. That’s what you see nowadays in international hockey.”
After playing practice matches against Malaysia, Netherlands, Germany and Great Britain, India will take on New Zealand (July 27), Argentina (July 29), Ireland (July 30), Belgium (August 1) and Australia (August 2) in Group B with the top four progressing to the quarter-finals.
It’ll be crucial for India to start well against New Zealand as a win can set the tone for the rest of the tournament. India will remember the last match they played against the Black Sticks, a 3-3 (4-5) loss at the 2023 World Cup crossover in Bhubaneswar, setting a reminder to not get complacent against the world No.10.
“We have always seen New Zealand as a strong opponent and have discussed this team in detail during our team briefs. It is good to be reminded of the World Cup match against them, so we know we can’t drop the momentum at any point in the game. It’s important for us to start well and keep up the pressure through the game,” said Harmanpreet.
