Indian hockey wants to do ‘right things more often’ with Paddy Upton on board | Hockey News – Times of India

The Indian men’s hockey team will be mentally better prepared for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) and Asian Games with mental conditioning expert Paddy Upton in the ranks, said the team’s Chief Coach Craig Fulton.
Upton was recently appointed in the role by Hockey India, having proved his mettle with the Indian team that won the 2011 ODI World Cup under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
“In high performance sport, those who have the mental edge are normally the most consistent and win more than they lose,” Fulton said in a Hockey India press release.
“Consistently, if you’re doing the right things more often than the opposition, then you normally get the results or you set yourself up to get a result. So that was the number one reason to get Paddy on board.”
The ACT is set to begin on August 3 in Chennai, followed by the Asian Games from September 23 to October 8.
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Acknowledging the strong competition and the importance of collective focus on their own process and preparation, Fulton said: “It’s more about India being able to play to its strengths, make the difference in where we haven’t or where the team has lacked previously.”

(AI image)
“We’re fortunate that we have some games now. We go to Spain next week for four-nation tournament. And then we have the Asian Champions Trophy after that, following which we have a nice block leading into the Asian Games of training.”
Asked about his decision to take up the coaching role with the Indian squad, Fulton said: “The Indian opportunity came to me, and I was really excited about it because it was a new challenge. I had my own ideas and I had the things that I wanted to try and implement.
“The Indian opportunity was just too big to turn down. And I’m really 100% all in. I really want to make it a success and I’ll bring some glory back to India.”
(With agency inputs)