India’s men’s hockey coach Craig Fulton. (File) Bengaluru: India struggled during the European leg of the FIH Pro League last month, losing seven of their eight matches against top teams such as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. For the Indian team, this was a tough reality check, especially as they had aimed to secure a World Cup berth. They narrowly missed the wooden spoon, finishing above bottom-placed Ireland.This experience served as a wake-up call for the team. However, there is hope on the horizon. The Men in Blue are now focusing on the Asia Cup, which begins late next month in Rajgir, Bihar.The competition offers India a chance to qualify for the World Cup scheduled to take place in the Netherlands and Belgium in Aug next year.Preparations are already underway, with a training camp set to begin on Monday. Additionally, a squad of 24 players will be taken to Australia for a two-week camp that will include friendly matches. From them, 20 players (including two standbys) will be selected for the continental competition.“The Asia Cup is a priority for the year. We want to remain the No. 1 in Asia, and we know many strong teams will be vying for victory to secure direct qualification. We must respect all our opponents, but we are focused on improving from our performance in the Pro League and returning to winning form,” said India’s head coach Craig Fulton during a virtual interaction on Tuesday.India, currently ranked No. 8 in the world, is the highest-ranked team in Asia and will enter the tournament as favourites. However, challengers like Pakistan (WR 15), Malaysia (12), and South Korea (13) could give the home team a tough competition.
