World Cup: Fulton feels underdog tag sits perfectly on India
Indian men's hockey coach Craig Fulton is embracing the 'underdog' label as the team prepares for the upcoming World Cup. The team is focusing on tactical discipline and physical conditioning, with an initial goal of advancing past the pool stage.
Why it matters
The performance of the national team is a significant cultural and sporting event in India, with implications for Olympic qualification.
It’s been more than half a century that the Indian men’s hockey team has been anywhere near the World Cup podium. As Craig Fulton’s boys enter the final stretch of preparations for yet another shot at the medal, the coach is not only aware of the challenge ahead but also comfortable with the ‘underdog’ tag for his team.
“The ideal goal, of course, is to win. The realistic goal is we’ve been given a 5% chance of winning because we are ranked eighth. It’s perfectly set up for a World Cup. We go into it as underdogs, to be honest, and that’s a good place for us to be.
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