'Harmanpreet Singh is not himself at the moment,' coach Craig Fulton admits after tough loss to Argentina
(Courtesy : Hockey India)
Craig Fulton also discussed about the improvements he would like to see from the team.
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team was handed a 0-8 drubbing by Argentina in the FIH Pro League 2025–26 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, on Thursday.
Tomas Domene (15’, 20’, 26’, 60’), Tomas Ruiz (14’), Lucio Mendez (22’), Ignacio Ibarra (25′), and Nicolas della Torre (30’) scored for the South American side.
This was India’s joint highest margin of defeat ever, having gone down with the same scoreline against Netherlands (1985) and Australia (2010) previously.
Head Coach Craig Fulton was blunt in his assessment after the encounter. “We conceded eight goals; that’s the bottom-line. We didn’t score any.”
This was the team’s second successive defeat, having gone down 1-3 against Belgium the previous day. The South African acknowledged that there is lots to ponder about, ahead of the upcoming fixtures.
“Well, it was a game of two halves. We just need to be a bit calm, read between the lines. We must see where we are physically, mentally and tactically, have some honest conversations and come back stronger in the third game.”
The former Belgian National Team Assistant Coach also noted a trend in the match. “If we made a mistake, we got punished. If they made a mistake, we didn’t punish them. That’s what happened.”
What would compound Craig Fulton’s worries, is the fact that skipper Harmanpreet Singh has been in poor form. After an ordinary showing (largely due to injuries) in 2025, the drag flicker has failed to score in both matches here too.
“He is not himself at the moment, as we can all see. But at the same time, we will assess it and see where he is at. Also, if you watched the Hockey India League, he had an injury in the last game”
India will be up against Belgium next, on 14th February.
What did Craig Fulton say after the 0-8 defeat?
Fulton was direct in his assessment, saying, “We conceded eight goals; that’s the bottom-line. We didn’t score any.” He admitted the team needs honest conversations and improvements going forward.
How did Craig Fulton describe the nature of the game?
He called it “a game of two halves” and said the team must stay calm, analyse where they stand physically, mentally and tactically, and come back stronger.
What did Craig Fulton say about Harmanpreet Singh’s form?
Fulton admitted, “He is not himself at the moment, as we can all see.” He also mentioned that Harmanpreet had an injury during the Hockey India League and that his situation will be assessed.
How has India performed in the last two matches?
India have suffered back-to-back defeats — first a 1-3 loss to Belgium, followed by the 0-8 defeat against Argentina.
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Kartik Warrier, a B.Tech Mechanical Engineering student at IIT Madras, is an ardent sports enthusiast. Through Khel Now, he gets to pursue his passion by closely following Indian athletes in sports like cricket, football, badminton, hockey, and table tennis.