15 August,2026 09:19 AM IST | Amstelveen | PTI
India players during a training session in Bengaluru recently. PIC/AFP
India will take nothing for granted in their FIH Hockey World Cup campaign opener against Wales on Saturday, said head coach Craig Fulton, while captain Harmanpreet Singh underlined the importance of consistency across all four quarters of the match.
Despite India entering the contest as favourites, Fulton urged his players to respect their opponents while remaining focused on their own game plan. "Wales is the complete underdog and that's what a World Cup is about sometimes. You have got to play to your seeding and every team that's below you, you have got to concentrate and put full efforts in. We take nothing for granted," Fulton told PTI ahead of the match.
Craig Fulton and Harmanpreet Singh
"We are expecting a tough battle from them. At the same time, we need to put in 100 per cent focus and attention on our game plan and make sure that we have four consistent quarters of good focus," Fulton added. Captain Harmanpreet said the team had prepared extensively after analysing their opponents and would enter the match in a positive frame of mind.
"We have worked really hard for this tournament, having analysed all the teams deeply. We are playing against Wales after a long time but their style remains the same. We had a great training session ahead of the match, so the team is really upbeat," he said.
Men's
Date Opponent Timing
August 15 Wales 16:30
August 17 England 18:30
August 19 Pakistan 18:30
Women's
Date Opponent Timing
August 16 China 16:30
August 18 South Africa 18:30
August 20 England 18:30
All matches on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar app
