Connect with us

Sports

The main target now is to get the right players in: Fulton

Published

on

The main target now is to get the right players in: Fulton

The India coach will keep his eye on the revamped Hockey India League to build a larger pool of players

“It’s quite nice to be back in New Delhi. This is where it all started,” beamed Craig Fulton as he settled into a sofa of a posh hotel lobby on Monday.

Advertisement

Life has come a full circle for the 49-year-old. It was here in the national capital that the South African made his international debut as a freckled 21-year-old at the 1995 Indira Gandhi Gold Cup, also scoring a goal.

Twenty-nine years since, Fulton is returning to the iconic Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, only this time as the chief coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, who will take on reigning world champions Germany in a two-Test series on Wednesday and Thursday. “Nobody forgets their first cap,” he adds.

Having guided India to a successive Olympic podium for the first time in 52 years, Fulton delivered for exactly what he had been brought in for, especially after the debacle of the 2023 World Cup where India failed to reach even the quarter-finals. He took charge of the low-on-confidence team, giving them direction that won India successive gold medals at both the Asian Champions Trophy and Asian Games last year.

Fulton failed his first major test in 2024 miserably when India were whitewashed 0-5 in the away tour of Down Under before redeeming himself with the Paris bronze, also helping India beat Australia at the Olympics – for the first time in 52 years at the Games.

Advertisement

India, then, travelled to China last month where they reinforced their pre-eminent position as the best team in Asia, which was Fulton’s first target as India coach. Now, having achieved his targets of the No.1 team in Asia and Olympic podium, Fulton has already started planning for Los Angeles 2028.

“Now, the main target is to broaden the base (player pool) for the training squad, get the right players in, who will take Indian hockey forward with the 2026 World Cup and Asian Games being the priority, and then hopefully qualify for Los Angeles 2028 directly and have a good preparation period going into LA,” said Fulton.

Keeping in the mind the age of some senior players who might stop after either the 2026 World Cup or 2028 Olympics, Fulton is keeping busy in identifying a virtual U-25 team who will likely play in the next two Olympic cycles which is why intends to take U-25 boys to the tour of Europe in November-December and give the seniors much-deserved rest.

“Our focus is to be the best we can be. It’s a new four-year block so we need to open it up with a look on broadening the squad for the future. We have players that are sitting in that age group. We’re looking to bring in another squad of 14-15 players who are just above the U-21 class but not as experienced to join the senior squad,” said Fulton ALL IN THE BEST.

Advertisement

“I should be there from the beginning to watch and observe our younger players. This is all about selection for us, to pick that training group and the India A THE team. Hopefully, everyone has a great opportunity and gets good minutes in their teams and can put their best foot forward,” he said.

Pressure talk

“But expectation brings focus. I don’t like to call it pressure, I like to call it focus. Because when you have expectations, you need focus.”

Group Media Publications
Entertainment News Platforms – anyflix.in      
Construction Infrastructure and Mining News Platform – https://cimreviews.com/
General News Platform – https://ihtlive.com/

Advertisement

Sports

Is a Sania Mirza biopic in the works? She reveals: Individuals have been conversing…

Published

on

By

Is a Sania Mirza biopic in the works? She reveals: Individuals have been conversing…

Sania Mirza reflects on the challenges of being famous. She prioritizes her son Izhaan, striving to maintain a balance between work and motherhood.
Sania Mirza has a lot on her plate after being appointed as Dubai’s Sports Ambassador. With a career as prolific as hers, her journey would certainly be inspiring for many people, if made into a film.

But we are yet to see one materialise on Mirza’s life. She says there has been interest showed, “A biopic has been on the cards, a lot of people have been talking about it. But I haven’t had offers of late, unless my managers have not told me about any!”

Advertisement

While work goes on, with Mirza also managing her tennis academies, it didn’t prevent her from ringing in the New Year with her ‘forever date’, as she captioned her picture with her six-year-old, lovingly called Izzu.

We ask her about life as a single mother. “No matter what I do in my life, my son Izhaan is always going to be my priority. Even amongst my professional commitments, he will remain that. That doesn’t mean I don’t do other things. I try to revolve my stuff around Izhaan as much as I can,” says the 38-year-old, who became a mother in 2018.

“I also try to not leave him too much, at max maybe one-two nights if I have to travel for work. All of it works itself out. I try to find a balance,” she adds. Being a busy public figure also means that she is constantly in the public eye.

Doing and saying the right thing in her life must be a pressure. Does Mirza feel it? “Being famous or not comes with it’s own set of challenges. More than the pressure, I feel a sense of responsibility.

Advertisement

I feel there are so many kids who look up to you, so you have a certain sense of responsibility about how you conduct yourself. I try to be myself as much as I can in the public eye. I feel humbled and honoured to be in this position. I speak from my heart,” she quips.

Sania Mirza, the tennis icon and former World No. 1 doubles player, has recently revealed that conversations are underway for a potential biopic about her life. In an exclusive interview, Sania opened up about how she has been approached by individuals.

interested in bringing her inspiring journey to the big screen. “Individuals have been conversing, and it’s something that could definitely happen in the future,” she shared. While she didn’t provide specifics, the possibility of a Sania Mirza biopic has excited her fans, who have long admired her achievements on and off the court.

Sania’s remarkable career includes six Grand Slam titles, a career-high doubles ranking, and her pioneering efforts to break stereotypes in the world of sports. Beyond her athletic prowess.

Advertisement

she has been a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment, making to make her story even more compelling. From her struggles and sacrifices to her triumphs and resilience, a biopic would surely highlight the journey of a woman who has defied the odds and become a trailblazer in the world of tennis.

The conversation around a biopic is not surprising, as there has been increasing interest in telling the stories of influential sports figures, especially women, whose contributions have often been underappreciated. With a potential biopic on the horizon, Sania could inspire yet another generation of young athletes, especially girls, to pursue their dreams relentlessly.

Group Media Publications
Entertainment News Platforms – anyflix.in      
Construction Infrastructure and Mining News Platform – https://cimreviews.com/
General News Platform – https://ihtlive.com/

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Anyskill-ads

Facebook

Trending