As the FIH Pro League 2024–25 heads into its pivotal European leg, India men’s hockey team coach Craig Fulton has doubled down on experience, sticking with a core group of senior players to guide the squad through a grueling stretch of high-stakes matches.
With India currently placed third in the standings—just one point behind joint leaders England and Belgium—every point from the upcoming games in Amsterdam and Antwerp could be decisive.
“This tournament is slightly different,” Fulton explained in the pre-match press conference. “We need experience in this block of opposition… I expect to see those senior players lead and help us get on the podium.”
The Indian team will face Belgium, Paris Olympic champion Netherlands, perennial contenders Australia, and Argentina twice in a row, Fulton admitted, is “a tournament on its own.”
The European leg begins with back-to-back matches against the Netherlands (June 7 and 9), followed by fixtures against Argentina, Belgium, and Australia.
A test of endurance
India’s preparations for this leg have focused heavily on physical conditioning.
“We have six games in nine days,” Fulton noted. “Everything is geared around being physically able to cope with the load… and be ready for the best teams in the world.” The squad trained in Ireland and played three matches there to acclimatize and refine their tactical plans, particularly against man-to-man defenses similar to what the Dutch employ.
Fulton emphasized the importance of adaptability: “We’ve been working a lot on different structures—defensive and attacking shapes. We have different plans against different teams and want to execute as we go.”
Eyes on World Cup qualification
Beyond the Pro League podium, India’s campaign also has a deeper purpose: World Cup qualification.
With host nations Belgium and the Netherlands already qualified—and Australia booking their spot by winning the previous edition—the Indian men’s team could seal a berth by finishing as the next-best team.
“It’s one of the ways of securing a qualification,” Fulton said. “We really want to try and finish as high as we possibly can.”
If that fails, India will have another shot at the Asia Cup in August, which doubles as an Olympic qualifier.
Development in the pipeline
With the World Cup and Asian Games scheduled just three weeks apart next year, Fulton acknowledged the importance of managing player workload and developing squad depth.
However, for this European leg, performance has taken precedence over experimentation.
“The U21s are firmly in the plans,” he said, “but they have their own program. The seniors are in position, and the younger players have to push hard to get that position.”
India’s depth-building efforts continue in parallel with Pro League commitments, through the development squad and fitness programs overseen by Fulton and strength coach Alan Tan. “We’re building toward peaking in 2026,” the coach said, “but we also have this moment in front of us now.”
As India prepares to open their campaign against the Netherlands, Fulton is clear-eyed about the challenges—and quietly confident in his team’s preparation. “We’ve had a really good camp,” he said. “Now, it’s one game at a time. We need to try and get maximum points out of every single match.”
India Men’s Matches – FIH Pro League European Leg 2025
Amsterdam (In IST)
June 7: Netherlands vs India – 7:30 PM
June 9 – Netherlands vs India – 6:00 PM
June 11 – Argentina vs India – 6:30 PM
June 12 – India vs Argentina – 6:30 PM
Antwerp (In IST)
June 14: Australia vs India – 2:00 PM
June 15 – Australia vs India – 2:00 PM
June 21 – Belgium vs India – 7:00 PM
June 22 – Belgium vs Argentina – 7:00 PM
Where to Watch
Live on: Star Sports | Streaming: JioCinema & Disney+ Hotstar
