Indian hockey team still has plenty of refinement to do before the Olympics | Hockey

Indian men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton high-fived the staff and smiled. The team had scored a stunning seven-goal haul against world champions Germany in the FIH Pro League on June 1. However, the South African did not shine on Sunday when Harmanpreet Singh and Co squandered a 2-1 lead and lost to hosts Great Britain. -2 in London.

It was one of those Pro League seasons for India. Sensational in patches, different colors in blocks with nerve-wracking endings, giving away goals and sometimes games. Five wins and losses each, three shootout wins and as many defeats sum up India's showing in the nine-team tournament that has largely become a training ground for most teams as they prepare for the Olympics.

Still, the elite event gives coaches a good idea of ​​where their teams stand against the world's best. Wins against Germany, Argentina, Spain and Ireland give India hope for Paris, but losses against the world's best Australia, Olympic champions Belgium and Great Britain have given Fulton a lot to think about.

Like all teams, India is going through the process of Olympic selection. That always slows down performance. I don't think we've seen the very best of India. They're probably playing at 80% capacity right now. As we get closer to the Olympic Games, some strengths such as penalty corners (PC) and counter-attacks will come into play a little more, said Shane McLeod, who guided Belgium to gold at the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, from Antwerp.

Apart from the 1-7 debacle against Australia, consistency was key for India in Tokyo, where they captured an Olympic medal bronze after 41 years. That stability is currently lacking. Moreover, India's performance in away matches was below par compared to their show at home. The conditions in Paris will be similar to those in Antwerp and London, where India played the last two legs of the competition.

India leaked goals, especially at crucial moments, conceding 35 goals in 16 matches. During the penalty corner defense (PC), Amit Rohidas and Manpreet Singh gave their all as first rushers, but opposing teams still found ways to get through the defense multiple times, especially in the final moments of the match, an Achilles heel for India.

They have scored quite a few goals. But I don't think this will happen at the Olympics. They will tighten up. Some of it was staff-driven, while some of it was trying to build the team. It will be a focus area for India, said McLeod, who is now a consultant in Belgium.

PC defenses can also be tightened. They still score some goals. The first run has improved quite a bit, so it's harder to get around the first runner. But they hope to have a perfect battery for defending corners by the time the Games take place.

With 12 goals, captain and drag-flicker, Harmanpreet was India's top scorer for the third season on the trot. But the second PC battery, comprising Jugraj Singh, Sanjay and Rohidas, did not fire much. That doesn't seem to be a problem for the experts.

Belgium also has Tom Boon and Loick Luypaert, but it is always Alexander Hendrickx who makes it happen. He is responsible for 90% of the films. You just have to adapt. That is what Olympic champion Belgium does at the top of the D, said former India coach Sjoerd Marijne from Den Bosch.

Harmanpreet is a world class drag flicker. One of their keys to success would be to ensure that India gets enough PCs so that he is not under pressure every time he flicks. If they get 1-2 every game it's very difficult, but if they get 5-6 you're almost guaranteed to get 1-2, on a good day even three.

However, one of the positive signs for India was the brilliance of Olympic bronze medalists Mandeep Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh and newcomer Abhishek. Their individual skills resulted in many goals, reducing the impact of not having a strong second PC battery.

Mandeep up front is a world class player. He is always dangerous and builds very nice connections with other players. Sukhjeet and Abhishek also showed real talent and ability. They will certainly be players for the future if they don't make the Olympic squad,” McLeod said.

With less than 50 days to go, Fulton still has a lot of fine-tuning to do before India opens its Games campaign against New Zealand at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir on July 27.