India men's hockey coach Craig Fulton plans a major squad overhaul for the upcoming LA 2028 Olympic cycle. He said, "We will select a new core group and a new squad." The team will use the February Pro League home leg to test fresh players against tough European opponents.
India men's hockey team chief coach Craig Fulton has indicated that the team could undergo significant changes as they begin their transition towards the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles , with a new squad set to be picked for the home leg of the Pro League in February.
India are scheduled to face Germany, Argentina, Great Britain and Spain in the home leg. Fulton said the coaching staff would use the opportunity to bring in a fresh group of players as the team looks to build towards the next Olympic cycle.
"We will select a new squad for the Pro League in January (February). There is very little time to train because the players will go back to their respective franchises. We will name a new squad, which will play in the Pro League, and then start the 2027-28 cycle with that squad," Fulton told PTI.
India will first travel to New Zealand this month for a three-match international Test series, part of the country's centenary celebrations marking 100 years since India's first hockey tour to the country in 1926. The matches will be played in Auckland on November 19, 21 and 22.
Fulton said the squad for the New Zealand tour had not yet been finalised and would be announced in the coming days. He added that India would assess their options after the tour before settling on a new core group.
"That is what we are going to assess after New Zealand. After that tour, we will select a new core group and a new squad," the South African coach said.
FULTON LOOKS FOR IMPROVEMENT
India have already made several changes to their squad in recent years. Fulton pointed out that the team which competed at the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai was different from the one that featured in the 2024 edition in Hulunbuir. Nine players have been changed since the previous squad.
The transition comes after a mixed year for Indian hockey. Harmanpreet Singh's side endured a disappointing World Cup campaign, finishing eighth, but responded by retaining their Asian Games title and securing direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics.
Fulton believes India need to address their shortcomings against stronger opposition, particularly European sides. While the team have been effective against Asian opponents, their performances against higher-ranked teams need to improve.
"We didn't score goals when we needed to in the big games (at the World Cup), and we conceded some soft goals. So, both our defence and attack need to improve," he said.
"Against Asian opposition, our ability to score goals and defend is good. But against European opposition and higher-ranked teams, we have to keep improving."
Fulton stressed that the focus was not on identifying individual players to blame, but on improving the team's approach in high-pressure matches.
"We are looking at both attack and defence. But it is not about identifying a particular player at this stage. It is about mindset and mentality in the big games. All players make mistakes, and all players make good plays."