'We Needed That Semifinal': Craig Fulton Reveals Turning Point Behind India's Hockey Gold

The hard-fought win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinal pumped up the Indian men's hockey team for their dominant victory over Malaysia in the summit clash to clinch the Asian Games gold and secure a berth at the 2028 Olympics, head coach Craig Fulton said on Saturday. Captain Harmanpreet Singh rose to the occasion with a brace as India thrashed Malaysia 5-1 to win the men's hockey gold for the second time in a row. "We played a great game. We almost needed that semifinal win to get into this mindset," Fulton said after the summit clash.

The nimble-footed Malaysians, who have always been tricky opponents, created problems for India for stretches of the first half. India, however, played much better in the second half to impose themselves on the contest.

"I'm proud of the boys because, in the first half, Malaysia did really well. We stuck to our guns but they scored a world-class goal. Coming in at 2-1, it was tight. And then our third quarter was immense and I think that was the difference."

Asked about the mindset of the team ahead of the final against Malaysia, Fulton said, "This game was good because we really debriefed honestly after the semifinal. We just had to focus on ourselves and our basic game plan, but do it at tempo and have no fear. Suddenly, it started to click and off we went again. So it was great."

India finished a disappointing ninth at the recent World Cup, but Fulton said the team wanted to qualify for the Olympics through the Asian Games.

"That was the main goal of 2026. Had we won the World Cup, we still would have had to come here and play. Obviously, the World Cup didn't go the way we wanted it to. I'm glad we dominated in Asia and this was important for us."

Asked what message he gave to the players after the team's below-par defensive performance in the semifinal, he said, "We just had a good debrief. We were honest about the way we played and I think the occasion got to us a little bit.

"Because if we didn't get to four and five goals and then you make one or two mistakes, Pakistan get their tail up and they can play and score goals," he said about the team's 4-3 win over Pakistan.

"I'm glad we found a way to win that game because that was the difference and I think that helped us in this final."

The South African said the team was conscious of late slip-ups and conceding goals in the closing stages of matches.

"We were really conscious about our counter-defence and getting numbers behind the ball. We would let the attacking midfielders and strikers go. If we came back, we had a good structure and we did that well in the second half. That was the difference."

On Shilanand Lakra, who scored in the 54th minute and impressed in the match, Fulton said, "He is that kind of silent assassin and when we needed him, he came up trumps and he was really effective."

Asian Games gold a big relief after World Cup disappointment: Hardik

Senior player Hardik Singh said the Asian Games gold was a big relief for the team, which had struggled at the World Cup.

"It's a big relief for us because of how the World Cup went. It was really hard mentally and physically," said the midfielder.

"We were very exhausted, but we knew that we had the challenge of the Asian Games and that we had to win the gold. There's not a second chance and it's a big stage where we have to be consistent with our results. So that's what we did."

He said winning the Asian Games gold showed the character of the team.

"We stood up at the Asian Games and fought in every match. It shows our character, and that's who we are. We want to start strong and finish stronger."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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