“We missed Amit Rohidas against Germany” - Craig Fulton says star defender’s suspension cost India SF [Exclusive]
Not since the days of the legendary Mohammed Shahid and Zafar Iqbal has the Indian hockey team found itself at the top of the world on the greatest stage of global sports — the Paris Olympics 2024.
The current bunch went close to emulating that iconic team's title-winning exploits at the 1980 Moscow Olympics before being stopped by eventual silver medalists Germany in the semifinals of the Paris Games. India finished third after defeating Spain in the bronze medal match.
This was the second consecutive Olympic bronze for Harmanpreet Singh and his bunch of merry men, who had climbed the podium during the previous edition in Tokyo. It was also the first time since 1972 that India had won medals at two consecutive Olympics.
On top of the world following a successful run in his maiden Olympic campaign at the helm of the Indian team, coach Craig Fulton is all praise for his wards. The South African could not stop gushing on about how the Indian team held their own against superior opponents throughout their campaign in Paris.
Fulton had focused on strengthening the team's defense, which paid rich dividends at the Olympics.
However, he lamented the suspension of star defender Amit Rohidas, which he felt weakened the defense during the semifinal against Germany.
Rohidas was awarded a red card during the quarterfinal clash against Britain, forcing him to miss the last-four match against Germany. He is one of the most experienced players in the Indian squad and plays a crucial role in defending against penalty corners.
"We missed Amit against Germany. He plays a really important role in that defence. We also failed to utilize the chances that came our way. I am really proud of what we achieved. We were consistently at the top of our game," Craig Fulton told Sportskeeda.
"The only game were we could have done better was the one against Germany. We did get chances to score, we just could not put the ball in the back of the net," he added. "We have had some amazing performances. To get through a team like Britain, that too with 10 men, that is a really amazing job right there."
Craig Fulton targets 2028 LA Olympics
Fulton, who had guided Team India to the Asian Games title last year, is already looking forward to the next Olympics to be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
“We are the only country to win back to back medals in the last two Olympic cycles. I only had a little more than a year with the boys before going to Paris. We have a full four-year cycle before the 2028 Olympics. I am excited to see what we can do," he said in the same interview.