The ACT’s importance being held 5 weeks before Asiad is like an appetizer before the main course,says coach
Chennai: India head coach Craig Fulton on Tuesday, August 1, said the Asia Cup Tournamentit remains an important event to fine-tune the team ahead of the quadrennial continental showpiece.
The ACT will begin on Thursday and conclude on August 12, a little over five weeks before the Asian Games commences in Hangzhou, China, raising questions over the timing of the event in Chennai.
Participating in the tournament are India, Pakistan, China, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia
“It’s something that you have to do. But we need the games. So, it’s important that we play it. It’s even better that it’s in India,” Fulton told reporters. “We are looking forward to the positives and negatives. But, at the same time, we get to look at a few extra players as well, which is important for us. Injury is never nice for any team or player. So, yes, I understand the clash and the timing.”
The Penalty Corner bug
The penalty corner conversion rate has been a topic of debate lately for the Indian hockey team. However, Fulton believes that the idea of a PC being considered a threat and a great goal-scoring opportunity is still alive “big-time”.
“We have a world class penalty corner (specialists). All the players involved in it are really good. Oppositions know we have a threat there and try to diminish it by trying to run down or not conceding as many is always something that teams are trying to do, and that’s what we try to do,” Fulton said. “I think we can always improve.”
Meanwhile, Malaysian coach Arul Anthoni was not too happy with the timing of the tournament, saying it “interrupted” their preparation ahead of the Asiad.
“I am a bit apprehensiive about it because we, as coaches, need 18 to 24 months to plan the team. To organise a tournament five weeks before a major event, I’m curious to know the reason behind it,” Anthoni said.
“Hopefully, Asian hockey works closely with FIH (International Hockey Federation) and organises better because our programme was interrupted. We had to tour Europe. We were supposed to have matches against Belgium, Holland (Netherlands), France and Spain. Everything was in place. But, the date and time changed, and it’s difficult to get another round of matches again. And, for them to put this tournament in this crucial moment… Yeah, I think in the future, Asian hockey will have to look into it seriously, which is planning the calendar at least a year or two years ahead.”
Japanese head coach Akira Takahashi, however, said it is an advantage for his side to play this event before the Asiad. “It is an advantage for us because we are not a strong side. So, we have to improve a lot, and playing this tournament will prove to be advantageous for us,” he said.
Pakistan arrive
The Pakistan hockey team arrived in India today via the Attari-Wagah border to participate in the Asian Champions Trophy.
The highly-anticipated match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take place on August 9. Meanwhile, the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian team too landed in the city today morning.
“Against Pakistan, of course, it is an intense meeting. But, mentally and smartly how you play out is the most important part,” Harmanpreet said. “Of course, the intensity of the match propels you to become somewhat aggressive. But eventually, our focus has to be on the game and identify our roles and responsibilities.” PTI
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