SportsPosted at: Oct 5 2026 7:07PM


LA 2028 in sight, Fulton plans fresh India squad after HIL

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) India’s successful defence of the men’s hockey gold at the Asian Games has already shifted head coach Craig Fulton’s focus towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Fulton said the two-year gap to LA 2028 will pass quickly and that India will look to refresh their squad after the Hockey India League (HIL), with young players expected to be given a bigger role alongside the experienced core.
“LA 2028 is within two years. It seems a long way off, but it obviously comes around pretty quick. I think at the moment we’re just trying to get the right schedule, the right planning in place, the big blocks of what is the preparation like, two years out, one year out, six months out, and plan accordingly to that. Yeah, I think every team has its phases at and flows with experience and youth. We have a good group of experienced players with us now,” Craig Fulton said.
India also have a strong pipeline of players in the A team and Under-21 setup, giving Fulton options as he prepares to rebuild the squad for the Olympic cycle.
“We have some youth, but we have a lot of youth in the Indian A team and a strong Under-21 team as well, which is great. So in the next two-three months, I think just post the Hockey India League, we'll have a look at all the talent that we have, choose new squad, and start afresh from there,” the 51-year-old added.
The Asian Games triumph was India’s fifth men’s hockey gold, following their earlier victories in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022. For Fulton, who represented South Africa at the 1996 and 2004 Olympics, retaining the title made the achievement particularly significant.
“Personally, the Asian Games were very unique. It was very different to the last Asian Games as we were isolated out here in a sense of away from the other events and athletes. There was no so-called Games Village. But at the same time, we had our own routine. We went to the field, we played, we came back, and everything is the same. But Hangzhou, being the first gold medal, was very special. But to come back and defend it back-to-back golds is always special,” he said.
India were pushed all the way by Pakistan in the semifinal after taking a 3-0 lead. Harmanpreet Singh scored twice and Sukhjeet Singh added another before Pakistan levelled the match. Abhishek then struck in the final minute to give India a 4-3 win and a place in the final.
“Everything did go according to plan. We had a really good first half, and then the third quarter was difficult. Pakistan is that team that if you give them any free opportunities, they take them and they are a great team, and they showed that. They came back nicely and put us under a lot of pressure from 3-0 to 3-all. We still had some good chances in that period, but we couldn’t finish, we couldn’t score. And found a way in the last minute to do so and to get the fourth goal, which helped us make the final,” Fulton said.
The achievement also completed a historic Asian Games double for Indian hockey, with the women’s team winning gold as well. It was only the third double gold for an Indian team sport at Aichi-Nagoya, after kabaddi and cricket.
Fulton credited the Sports Authority of India for its support, with Rs 77.8 crore spent on the men’s and women’s hockey programmes, including camps, international exposure, coaching and equipment.
“I think the government is our biggest supporter in terms of the resources and the funds that they put forward to helping the grassroots programs all the way through to the 18s, 21s, seniors. Without them, obviously, I don't know what would happen if they didn't put as much support and resources around. But at the same time, by doing that the girls stand on the podium winning gold for the first time in 44 years. And we're fortunate enough to go back-to-back. Yes, that's domination in Asia.
“We obviously want to do that on the world stage. And the women had a fantastic World Cup, and the men obviously had a fantastic Paris. So the balance is there. The resources are there. But the main thing is we just got to keep pushing forward to find the talent and expose it on the international platform,” he signed off.
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Tags: #LA 2028 in sight# Fulton plans fresh India squad after HIL
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