Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 1 (ANI): India males’s hockey staff head coach Craig Fulton mentioned the aspect is preserving its method easy and specializing in staying calm and composed forward of their Asian Games 2026 semi-final towards arch-rivals Pakistan on Thursday.
With the high-stakes conflict attracting appreciable consideration, Fulton mentioned the gamers are treating it like another sport, with the distinction being that it’s a knockout fixture.
‘I feel in all match hockey, all roads lead so far. So semi-finals are video games of consequence, so it is thrilling,’ Fulton instructed Hockey India in an interview shared on X.
Fulton acknowledged the importance of reaching the knockout stage and mentioned semi-finals are video games that carry penalties.
Asked whether or not India are getting ready in another way from a psychological perspective for a knockout sport on the Asian Games, Fulton mentioned the staff isn’t including any further stress and is as an alternative simplifying its method.Â
‘We’re not including extra to it, we’re truly doing much less. And it is simply the power to remain tremendous calm and composed and ensuring that we put our personal sport plan on and we focus 100% on what we have to do and our strengths,’ the pinnacle coach added.
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The Indian males’s hockey staff will renew one in all worldwide hockey’s fiercest rivalries when the defending champions tackle Pakistan within the first semi-final of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan on Thursday, with a spot within the gold-medal match at stake. The second semi-final shall be performed between Malaysia and South Korea.Â
India have been unbeaten within the match to date, ending on the prime of Pool A with 5 wins from 5 matches. The marketing campaign started with a 13-1 victory over Indonesia, adopted by a 16-1 win towards Sri Lanka. India then produced an 8-2 consequence towards South Korea earlier than overcoming hosts Japan 2-0 in what proved to be their hardest pool-stage contest. The scoreline within the win over the South Korean staff was India’s finest towards them within the Asian Games historical past. India signed off the group section with a commanding 10-0 win over Bangladesh.
While India have been medical throughout the match, their attacking unit has additionally discovered its rhythm on the proper time. Striker Dilpreet Singh has been among the many main scorers with 9 objectives, placing him joint second on the match’s scoring chart. His fellow ahead Abhishek and captain Harmanpreet Singh have eight objectives every, with Harmanpreet’s drag-flicks persevering with to be a drive to reckon with on penalty corners.
Pakistan, in the meantime, had been on the right track to complete prime of Pool B and probably meet India within the last, however a slender 4-5 defeat to Malaysia pushed them into second place and arrange Thursday’s much-anticipated semi-final. In their different pool matches, Pakistan registered wins over Thailand (9-0), Uzbekistan (5-1), China (3-0) and Oman (7-2).
Pakistan’s scoring hopes shall be led by drag-flick specialist Sufiyan Khan, who has been prolific from penalty-corner conditions and presently tops the match scoring charts with 11 objectives. His battle with India’s Harmanpreet may change into one of many defining elements of the competition, with each side conscious that conceding penalty corners may show expensive. (ANI)