India Begins Asia Cup with Narrow Win Over China, Coach Seeks Improvement

Rajgir (Bihar), Aug 29 (PTI) Chief coach Craig Fulton expressed partial dissatisfaction with the Indian men's hockey team's effort against China in the Asia Cup opener, yet emphasized the importance of commencing their campaign with a win.

India, ranked 7th in the world, appeared somewhat off their game against the 23rd-ranked China, ultimately edging out a narrow 4-3 victory in their opening match.

"The first half was positive as we positioned ourselves well, though we made a few errors. We had an extra gear to shift into, thankfully, in the second half where we won some penalty corners and made conversions. It's unfortunate that we missed converting the penalty stroke," commented Fulton during the post-match interaction.

India's captain Harmanpreet Singh successfully converted three penalty corners, though he was unsuccessful with a penalty stroke in the second half.

"While we managed to win, our performance didn’t meet our expectations. Overcoming the first hurdle was significant. The team showed immense fighting spirit, which was encouraging, but we missed opportunities and conceded some soft goals too," Fulton remarked.

Fulton acknowledged that despite achieving a favorable result, there are multiple elements needing improvement within the team.

"Securing the three points was critical and we accomplished that." He further cautioned against underestimating any opponent in the tournament, referencing their experience on Friday.

"I anticipate resistance from any team. As the highest-ranked and favored team here, every opponent will raise their level against us, and we need to be prepared for that challenge," Fulton asserted.

"There are many instances where teams don't play at their best but still manage to win, and ultimately, winning is what counts." Harmanpreet Singh reflected on the valuable lessons learned from playing against China.

"It was indeed a tough match, but winning was crucial. Our perseverance until the last whistle taught us important lessons," he stated.

Emphasizing the need for heightened defensive vigilance, he noted, "Many teams prefer a defensive strategy, sitting back and waiting for counter-attacks. This has taught us the importance of fortifying our defensive line."

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