"We will have 7 goalkeepers, not just 4" - Craig Fulton aims to widen base as India being Hockey Pro League campaign

The Indian men's hockey team, under the tutelage of Craig Fulton, will begin their 2024-25 FIH Hockey Pro League campaign at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday (February 15).

England, Spain, Ireland and Germany, all of whom have already played four matches each this season are the other teams who will take part in the mini-tournament that is part of the larger Pro League competition.

Fulton acknowledged that although the Indians have not played as a team together since the Test series against Germany in November, the recent Hockey India League has ensured that they are not short of match practice.

"We haven't played a test match together since I think it was November in Delhi. The other teams have played four games or five games. Some have played more, six (in the Hockey Pro League). We haven't played any. So we're a little bit behind. But we've had the Hockey India League," the coach observed,

Players like Angad Bir Singh and Arshdeep Singh who impressed with their performance in the Hockey India League are now in the Pro League squad. Replying to a question from Sportskeeda on whether more goalkeepers would be brought in, given that the likes of Bikramjeet Singh excelled in the HIL, Fulton replied in the affirmative.

"There is the under-21, there are four goalkeepers there. In the under-21 team, we are looking for two. In the senior men's team, we also have two so. We have seven goalkeepers who we will be grooming for Hockey India as a men's program. So, we will have seven goalkeepers not just four," Fulton revealed at a press conference ahead of the tournament.

Krishan Pathak, Suraj Karkera and Princedeep Singh are the three goalkeepers who have been picked for the Pro League games in Bhubaneswar.

The Indians play Spain twice over the weekend before taking on Germany on February 18 and 19 in the Hockey Pro League.

How has India fared in the history of the Hockey Pro League?

Netherlands and India face off in the Hockey Pro League - Source: Getty

The Indians opted not to be part of the inaugural edition of the Hockey Pro League in 2019 before finishing fourth in the COVID-curtailed 2020-21 edition of the competition.

A bronze-medal finish in 2021-22 was spearheaded by Harmanpreet Singh who ended up as the highest scorer of the competition with 18 goals.

Harmanpreet repeated his feat in the 2022-23 edition where the Indians ended up fourth yet again in the nine-team competition.

Despite a disappointing seventh-place finish last year, Craig Fulton's side went on to clinch the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

Australia and the Netherlands have won the tournament twice each while Belgium has emerged victorious once in the Hockey Pro League.