NEW DELHI: It was hoped that the Indian men's hockey team would earn a spot in the 2026 World Cup through the European portion of the FIH Pro League. But with eight losses in a row and eighth position in the nine-team league, barely missing the disgrace of relegation, it concluded as one of their worst campaigns in recent memory.

The forwards from India were accurate. The penalty corner (PC) battery had a respectable conversion rate of 20.25%. India led in four of the seven defeats. They even had a 2-0 lead against Australia. However, six of their eight games ended in a one-goal defeat, and they ultimately lost seven of them.

"In light of our expectations, it was a letdown. But looking back, every game had only a few little instances that didn't follow the script. Simultaneously, we were quite competitive and could have easily won or tied some of those games. "So, it was really annoying," said India head coach Craig Fulton from Eindhoven, where he has led India A on an eight-game trip around Europe.

"We took a break, contemplated, and considered the areas we want to improve." Much of it comes down to little moments, restarts, a little bit of defense, a little bit of out-letting under intense pressure, and then PC defense and attack. It always makes the greatest difference there. We have a strategy for making those areas better. In general, we excel in those domains. It simply didn't work, for whatever reason.

Despite being an exclusive competition, teams often utilize the Pro League to experiment with strategies and players. In February, South Africa used the home leg to experiment with their man-to-man strategy. They attempted a novel zonal system in Europe, but it failed to produce results. As a result, Fulton of South Africa is not concerned.

"Because of our trials, we now have both (two systems) where we didn't have both before. As a result, it's a valuable period of contemplation and exploration for us. However, it was really challenging (7 losses). We were unable to replicate our first half performance in the fourth quarter on several occasions," stated Fulton, who led India to the bronze at the Paris Olympics.

"We'd make one or two mistakes and drop the game by a score." However, I always enjoy the adage, "you win or you learn." And it's up to you to learn those difficult lessons and put them into practice. In order to improve in these areas, we must take action.

The example of India's dismal 0-5 defeat in last year's tour of Australia, before they arrived at the Olympics and defeated them for the first time in 52 years, was mentioned by Fulton, who claimed that this was only possible by learning from errors.

"Is it enjoyable to lose five games in a row? But as long as you learn something concrete from those losses (moving forward), then it's worthwhile. Because they are revealing where you are really vulnerable. You need that. It is imperative that you understand that. If you haven't covered those areas and you go and play them in a major competition, it's on you.

The next ticket to the 2026 World Cup will be up for grabs at the Asia Cup, which will take place in Rajgir from August 27 to September 7, now that the opportunity at the Pro League is gone. India has won the previous two Asian Champions Trophy competitions as well as the 2023 Asian Games, giving them a stranglehold over the continent.

"That's our top priority for the year. 100%." Our goal is to remain the best in Asia. Many excellent clubs are competing in this tournament for a direct path to qualifying. All of our opposition must be respected. Before the Asia Cup, Fulton will be taking the team to Australia for a two-week training camp and exhibition games, but he stated, "We know we have work to do on improving from the Pro League and get back to winning ways."

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