Friendship, coaching rivalry and cricket connections

Sitting in the stands of the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Craig Fulton was observing the Indian players in a training session of Hockey India League (HIL) franchise Team Gonasika.

- Sandip Sikdar

Sitting in the stands of the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Craig Fulton was observing the Indian players in a training session of Hockey India League (HIL) franchise Team Gonasika. The India chief coach also kept an eye on Paul Revington as the Gonasika head coach gave instructions to the players.

Following the session, Revington waved and walked up to Fulton, both shaking hands and embracing before exchanging pleasantries. The association between the two South African coaches go back to four decades, from their junior playing days.

"Craig and I are pretty much the same age (Fulton is 50, Revington 51). We grew up playing against each other and briefly played together at U-21 level. He continued playing at the senior level. I got injured and went into coaching. Most of our life, in terms of hockey, has been on similar paths," said Revington, who was head coach of Great Britain and England till the 2024 Paris Olympics.