What sets a champion from the rest of the field? We may say that it is his/her superior skills to overcome any situation that they find themselves in or just to breeze past their opponents with ease. But, at times, it is also about having that mental strength to overcome anything that is thrown at them.
This is where Paddy Upton comes into play for the Indian men’s hockey team. The South African mental conditioning coach is no stranger when it comes to guiding champion sides. He was a vital part of the Indian cricket team’s backroom staff when they won the 2011 World Cup at home.
When Craig Fulton came in as the coach of the men’s team, he quickly roped in Upton as a part of his system. His aim was simple. To improve the team’s mental toughness.
And that has been evident since Upton collaborated with the Indian team. Since the South African has been a part of things, India won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and the 2025 Asia Cup.
These were tournaments where India was tested. In Paris, India played with 10 men for more than 40 minutes during the quarterfinal against Great Britain. They were able to push the game into the shoot-out and secure a famous win.
During the Asia Cup, India had tough outings against China and Korea early on, but the second time they faced them, the players seemed to be at the peak of their powers.
Maybe that’s why Hockey India sent the team to the Swiss Alps for a three-day camp, reviving a formula they used in 2024 to get the Olympic bronze. The three-day camp took place at mental conditioning expert Upton’s training facility, located at adventurer Mike Horn’s base in the Swiss Alps.
And the quarterfinal result was the perfect example of Upton and the lesson he taught this side to achieve success.
“In the quarterfinal against Britain, India won the match from a situation no other team could have won, because we had prepared for situations like that in the Swiss camp,” said Upton to PTI.
The camp at his facility, according to Upton, wasn’t created to address weakness. Rather, it is a team-building exercise and to push the limits of the players to go beyond their fears.
“It wasn’t driven by addressing weaknesses. It was about creating even more team-building and perspective about challenges and fears. Most of the teams would prepare for the World Cup on a hockey pitch, but we had gone for a much more challenging situation physically and mentally,” Upton said.
“A player’s greatest fear might be getting tired or getting injured. When you are at a very high altitude and exhausted, there is no other option – you have to keep going. We pushed players beyond their on-field challenges physically and helped them overcome the fears of injury.”
‘ARRIVING AS CHAMPIONS’
India’s record at the World Cup isn’t a pleasing one. Yes, they did win the title in 1975, but since then have never finished in the semi-final spots.
That’s not the kind of record you would want going into a major tournament. However, Upton doesn’t want the players to think in that fashion.
He wants them to come in as champions, who doesn’t keep things until the final to confirm their status as the title holders.
“One of the keys is that champions arrive at a tournament as champions. They don’t wait to win the final to confirm that they are champions,” he told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“We have to make sure that we are as fit as any other team, our diet is as good as any team, and our attention to details like sleep and recovery are of world champion standards.”
But even then, Upton doesn’t want his side about winning the final, but rather create the path to the summit clash by eliminating all the obstacles along the way.
“We can’t focus on winning the final now. We are focusing on everything that gives us a chance to reach the final. The other key is to prepare for the obstacles and challenges ahead,” he said.
AN UPTON TWIN?
Upton has also brought technology into his mental-conditioning approach, developing a “digital twin” that replicates his methods and thought process. The tool enables players to seek his guidance and insights whenever they need it, even when he is not physically present.
“I have built a digital twin of myself which only uses my thinking and my style. It makes me accessible to all 20 players round the clock. They can speak or type in English or Hindi. It gives very neutral and direct feedback to them,” Upton said.
And it is a hit with the players, even though the results are yet to be seen. This is the first of its kind usage of the technology by a team from a mental-coaching perspective.
“It’s very new and I don’t think any sports team in the world would have this kind of technology from a mental-coaching perspective. We are still in the initial phase and only time will tell, but all the players are engaging with the twin and me,” said Upton.
LUCK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
Despite all this, Upton feels luck plays a big role. It was during the semi-final of the Paris Olympics against Germany when India dominated the World Champions for both possession and shots.
Yet, India ended up on the losing side. Hence Upton struck a cautious note to temper the expectations and said that in the end, it’s all a game of luck.
“Luck plays an important role, like someone getting a penalty corner in the dying moments of the game. That’s not a skill thing; that is luck. The Indian hockey team has arrived well prepared, but in order to win, any team will need a dose of luck, and we don’t know who will have that,” he said.
India will begin their campaign on August 15 against Wales, and we could see the answers to the Upton training early on.
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