India: Fulton Introduced As New India Head Coach

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The 48-year-old South African with practically 25 years of teaching expertise will be a part of the group on the earliest upon finishing formalities.

Craig Fulton has earlier served as Belgium's assistant coach (Hockey India)
Craig Fulton has earlier served as Belgium’s assistant coach (Hockey India)

Hockey India on Friday confirmed that South African Craig Fulton would be the new chief coach of the Indian males’s hockey group, succeeding Graham Reid who resigned after India’s poor outing on the 2023 World Cup in January.

Whereas the Australian led India to its first Olympic medal in 41 years in Tokyo, it was additionally below him that India completed joint ninth in Odisha – the worst present by a number within the historical past of the event.

The 48-year-old with practically 25 years of teaching expertise will be a part of the group on the earliest upon finishing formalities.

“I’m more than happy to state that Hockey India has finalised Craig Fulton for the chief coach’s function with the Indian males’s hockey group. I’ve had the honour of enjoying towards him and now I sit up for carefully working with him on this new part,” stated Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.

“He comes with large expertise in teaching and his work ethic induces confidence in elevating the group’s efficiency in world hockey. I welcome Craig to India and want him the very best.”

As a global for South Africa, Fulton earned 195 caps over a span of 10 years, from 1996 to 2005, additionally enjoying on the 1996 Atlanta and 2004 Athens Olympic Video games. He additionally performed on the World Cup and Commonwealth Video games.

As a coach, Fulton has proven exemplary leads to his earlier roles. His rise to fame began with a stint with the Irish males’s group as head coach between 2014 to 2018 when the group certified for the 2016 Rio Olympics. This was Eire’s first Olympic qualification in 108 years. He guided Eire to bronze on the 2015 EuroHockey Championship and in addition helped them qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The historic feats helped him win the FIH Coach of the 12 months in 2015.

After his four-year stint with Eire, Fulton joined Belgium as an assistant to go coach Shane McLeod in 2018, serving to them win the World Cup in Bhubaneswar later that yr. He was additionally a part of the Belgian outfit that received the Tokyo Olympics gold and silver on the 2023 World Cup in Odisha.

He was named Belgium Coach of the 12 months 2023 after teaching Belgian membership Racing to the league title final season. Fulton can also be at present the coach of Belgian membership KHC Dragons and has had membership stints in England, Eire and South Africa too.

“It’s an honour to be appointed within the function of chief coach for the Indian males’s hockey group. India has a deep historical past and legacy of the game and I sit up for work, to taking this ahead with the present group which has some very promising expertise,” stated Fulton, whose brother Grant and spouse Natalie had been additionally South Africa internationals.

The announcement was made forward of the group’s house matches within the Professional League. India will play 4 matches, two every towards newly topped world champions Germany and Tokyo Olympics silver medallists Australia, on the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela from March 10 to fifteen.

By Sandip Sikdar

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