Fulton takes over from Reid
New Delhi, March 3
India today named South Africa’s Craig Fulton as the new chief coach of the men’s national hockey team which finished a disappointing ninth in the Hockey World Cup at home.
Fulton, who has nearly 25 years of coaching experience, replaces Australian Graham Reid, who quit after India’s dismal show. Not just Reid, the team’s analytical coach Greg Clark and scientific advisor Mitchell Pemberton had also tendered their resignations.
Fulton said he would strive to take Indian hockey to the next level. “It is an honour to be appointed in the role of chief coach for the Indian men’s hockey team. India has a deep history and legacy of the sport and I look forward to taking this forward with the current team which has some very promising talent,” Fulton said.
Fulton has shown exemplary results in his previous stints as coach. His rise to fame started with a stint as the Irish men’s team head coach between 2014 and 2018 when the team qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016. That was the Ireland’s first Olympics qualification in 100 years. The historic feat also won him the FIH Coach of the Year award in 2015.
Fulton also worked as an assistant coach with the reigning Olympics champions Belgium en route their gold-winning run in Tokyo. He was also part of the Belgian coaching staff during their 2018 World Cup win in Bhubaneswar.
Speaking on Fulton’s appointment, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said: “I am very pleased to state that Hockey India has finalised Craig Fulton for the chief coach’s role with the Indian men’s hockey team. I have had the honour of playing against him and now I look forward to closely working with him in this new phase for the men’s hockey team.”
