India, Nov. 10 -- Indian men's hockey chief coach Craig Fulton rues the country's disappointing World Cup record but believes establishing continental supremacy is the first step towards becoming a dominant force in world hockey.

India won back-to-back Asian Games gold medals and three successive Asian Champions Trophy titles under Fulton, who took charge in May 2023, laying the foundation for a sustained push to break into the world's top four.

"When I first arrived, India had not won an Asian Games medal for years. So, you have to start somewhere. You start by qualifying for major World Cups and the Olympics. And where do you qualify for those? You qualify in Asia," the South African told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"You have to s...