'10-man India beating GBR in Paris proudest moment'

Late goals from Iran break India’s resilience

- Sandip Sikdar

The Indian hockey team had entered the 2023 World Cup with a weight of expectations on their shoulders.

Being the hosts and having won a bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to end a 4l-year medal wait, the pressure of delivering their first Cup medal since 1975 was enormous.

But India exited in the crossovers to finish joint ninth, the worst result fora host at the World Cup. Graham Reid resigned as chief coach amid questions about the team’s mental fragility. Before leaving, the Aussie stressed on the need for a mental training expert.

Craig Fulton, who succeeded Reid two months later, concurred and brought in fellow South African anda familiar figure in India, mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, in July 2023.

Upton had an immediate impact. India won the Asian Champions Trophy which they had not since 2018, and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games — their firstin nine years.

Upton, who works with the team on a need basis, returned before the 2024 Paris Games, helping India wina successive Olympic bronze. The 56-year-old has now returned to help India win the Asia Cup and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

“The thinking that the leadership, Craig and (skipper) Harmanpreet, had is that I'd work with the team before some big tournaments, find ways to get those extra 1-2% to boost team confidence. From the mental side, help players manage distraction, get better and better at managing their minds, particularly in the big moments, around making mistakes, etc.,” Upton, who helped India win the 2011 ODI World Cup, told HT.

Until Upton arrived, most India players had not interacted with a psychologist, and had inhibitions in opening up.