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India's new hockey coach Craig Fulton remains hopeful about the team's penalty corner conversion rate despite recent struggles, following their victory over Malaysia in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023.
The Indian Hockey Team's journey in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 has seen its ups and downs, especially when it comes to turning penalty corners into goals. Even with their commanding presence throughout the tournament, the team has frequently missed converting these potential goal opportunities.
In their face-off against Japan, the team had 15 penalty corner opportunities but succeeded in scoring only once, leading to a draw of 1-1. Their subsequent game against Malaysia saw a slight improvement with two goals from ten penalty corners. This trend has sparked concerns over the team's capability to make the most of these game-changing moments.
However, head coach Craig Fulton maintains a hopeful stance. He's convinced that the team's lackluster performance with penalty corners is a temporary phase and envisions improvement ahead.
In a conversation with PTI after India's 5-0 triumph against Malaysia, Fulton commented, "We showed solid defense, which set the stage for our attack. This defensive strategy across various parts of the field bolstered our counter-attack, leading to a few field goals and boosting the players' confidence."
Addressing the penalty corner situation, he added, "Every team has off days when it comes to set pieces. These won't persist. We struck a good equilibrium today."
Emphasising the team's growth areas, Fulton pointed out the importance of understanding opponents better and also cutting down on cards, stating, "We received two yellow cards that warrant a review. Our focus should be on holistic improvement. We need to be cognizant of the rival team's strategies and respond effectively. While we have made progress, there's still work to be done in honing our frontline."
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