Key Reasons behind India Men’s Hockey Team winning the Bronze in 2024 Paris Olympics

As a nation, we always aspire for our athletes to win more medals in multi-discipline competitions, but the reality is different. It will take many more years for us to become a truly competitive sporting nation

In the recently concluded #Paris Olympics , we could have won a few more medals, but they eluded us by close margins. The hope is that those who missed winning a medal will learn from the experience and come back stronger in the next edition in LA 2028.

Winning a medal in #hockey always brings added excitement as a nation due to our previous success in this sport for many decades in the last century. We broke a four-decade-long jinx by securing consecutive bronze medals. The #bronze #medal in #Paris was extremely hard-earned, with everyone playing their part in the victory. What is not known to many casual observers of the game is that the current men’s hockey coach, #Craig Fulton, was appointed just over a year ago—hardly an ideal time to change the fortunes of the team.

A brief background on the events that led to India appointing Craig Fulton:

Things were looking good for the team after winning an Olympic medal following an agonizing wait of 41 years. The World Championships, held in India in January 2023, were expected to set the tone and preparation for the Paris Olympics. Despite a great start in the league round, India faced New Zealand in the quarterfinals. India dominated sections of the game, but when it came to crunch situations, the team collapsed spectacularly (as we have seen in other sports as well) and were out of the tournament. India, the favorites in the tournament, crashed out in a manner that sent alarm bells ringing. It was no surprise that then-coach Graham Reid was shown the door.

Here are a few key reasons for India's wonderful achievement at Paris 2024, in no particular order:

1. Coaching Pedigree of Craig Fulton: He managed minnows Ireland over a four-year period, consistently improving the team. During the same period, he was named FIH Men's Coach of the Year in 2015. He then moved on as an assistant coach with the Belgian National team, helping them win Olympic gold in Tokyo.

2. Fulton’s Coaching Methodology as India Coach:? ?

- Team Bonding: He boosted team camaraderie by breaking silos and groupism. He held one-on-one sessions with every team member to understand their culture and psyche. He relaxed certain player restrictions and tightened others to create a fun but ultra-competitive environment.? ?

- Heavy Focus on Data: Fulton got the players to buy into a new data feedback system, using a better video analysis software used by many top teams. This software helped unlock greater potential from every player through specific feedback. Detailed analysis of every player in every practice game led to better preparation.? ?

- Mental Strength & Conditioning: Fulton realized early on in his tenure that the team was mentally weak, leading to losses from strong positions. He brought in Paddy Upton as the mental conditioning coach. Upton, who was part of the backroom staff under former cricket coach Gary Kirsten when India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011, took the team on a rigorous mental conditioning training camp. This brutal regimen tested the mind and body limits of the players, resulting in visible improvements, with India winning tough games against Australia, England, and others.

3. Players Making It Count: Across games, multiple players stepped up and took charge, ranging from the captain to the goalkeeper, midfield, and defense. Many heroes emerged, unafraid to make an impact when the chips were down.

4. Tactical Adaptation: Fulton’s strategy of not unnecessarily tinkering with the team’s core playing style helped maintain team strength while making necessary tweaks depending on the game situation.

5. Team Cohesion: The players’ trust in each other, knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and their ability to put aside egos and play for the greater collective good were instrumental in winning the bronze medal.

6. The Asian Games Gold:? Just three months after Craig Fulton took the helm, the team clinched gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, securing their spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This victory was a significant morale booster, affirming Fulton's coaching approach and the positive impact he had on the team's performance.??

7. Winning Culture & Support: The current Hockey India Federation members are hungry for success and have shown a commitment to achieving it. Impactful work has been initiated over the years at the state level, bearing fruit. Additionally, the federation has agreed to many requests from the team, with suitable accountability being put in place.

At this juncture, it would be remiss not to mention the contribution of the former Odisha Chief Minister #Naveen Patnaik to the revival of the sport in India.? Under his aegis, not only was #Odisha transformed into the sport's epicenter, but his government also has consistently provided substantial financial support, sponsoring both the men’s and women’s national hockey teams since 2018. Odisha has also hosted major international tournaments, including the 2018 and 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cups. Patnaik's commitment extended to the construction of world-class infrastructure, such as the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, fostering talent and revitalizing the sport in India. His efforts have been instrumental in reviving Indian hockey's global stature.

It's fair to say that “Indian Hockey is back,” and how!