India on Friday named South Africa’s Craig Fulton as the brand new leader trainer of the boys’s nationwide hockey crew that completed a disappointing 9th within the International Cup at house.
Fulton, who has just about 25 years of training revel in, replaces Australian Graham Reid, who give up after India’s dismal display within the International Cup.
No longer simply Reid, the crew’s analytical trainer Greg Clark and medical consultant Mitchell Pemberton had additionally tendered their resignations. Reid, even though, had guided the Indian crew to a ancient bronze medal-winning display on the Tokyo Olympics. Fulton stated he would attempt to take Indian hockey to the following degree.
? BREAKING ?
Craig Fulton of ?? is the brand new leader trainer of the Indian males’s hockey crew. ?
The South African used to be the assistant trainer of the 2018 International Cup and Tokyo 2020 gold medal-winning Belgian crew. ?#Hockey | @TheHockeyIndia | @FIH_Hockey %.twitter.com/adDwNRYgvH
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) March 3, 2023
“It’s an honour to be appointed within the function of leader trainer for the Indian males’s hockey crew. India has a deep historical past and legacy of the game and I stay up for taking this ahead with the present crew which has some very promising skill,” Fulton stated in a press unlock.
Fulton has proven exemplary ends up in his earlier stints as trainer. His upward thrust to status began with a stint with the Irish males’s crew as its head trainer between 2014 to 2018 when the crew certified for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
That used to be the Irish crew’s first Olympic qualification in 100 years. The ancient feat additionally gained him the FIH Trainer of the 12 months in 2015.
Fulton additionally labored as assistant trainer with the reigning Olympic champions Belgium en path to the gold medal in Tokyo. He used to be additionally a part of the Belgian training team of workers right through their 2018 International Cup win in Bhubaneswar.
Fulton used to be named Belgium Trainer of the 12 months this yr.
In his illustrious occupation as a hockey participant with the South African squad, Fulton performed 195 global suits over a span of 10 years. He used to be a part of the South Africa crew on the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics. He has additionally performed on the International Cup and Commonwealth Video games.
Talking on Fulton’s appointment, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey stated, “I’m very happy to state that Hockey India has finalised Craig Fulton for the manager trainer’s function with the Indian males’s hockey crew. I’ve had the respect of taking part in towards him and now I stay up for intently operating with him on this new section for the boys’s hockey crew.
“He comes with super revel in in training and his paintings ethics induces self belief of elevating the crew’s efficiency in global hockey.” Fulton is anticipated to sign up for in the midst of the impending FIH Professional League suits towards Australia and Germany in Rourkela subsequent month.
India will tackle Germany within the first fit on March 10 adopted through go back leg on March 13. India may even play Australia, the reigning Commonwealth Video games champions, on March 12 and 15.
Within the Professional League suits, Australian David John and BJ Kariappa have been named as meantime coaches, at the side of Shivendra Singh.
John and Kariappa had been operating with the Odisha Hockey Federation.