Pro League a wake-up call before Asian Games, World Cup in 2026: Sreejesh

Business Standard

4 days ago

Former India captain and goalkeeping stalwart P R Sreejesh believes the just-concluded FIH Pro League was a good wake-up call for the men's national hockey team ahead of next year's Asian Games and the World Cup.
India struggled in the European leg of the Pro League and finished eighth out of nine teams to avoid relegation by a whisker.
But Sreejesh, who was part of India's bronze medal winning sides in Tokyo and Paris Olympics, felt that players didn't perform too badly but unfortunately results didn't favour the team.
"I think the players performed really well, we created lot of opportunities. We gave very good fight on the field but sometimes it happens the result went against us," Sreejesh said on the sidelines of the launch of Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Wednesday night.
"The preparation was perfect but unfortunately the result was not perfect for us but the coaches have enough time to prepare the team for the Asia Cup and definitely next year the Asian Games and World Cup is there.
"I think this Pro League gave us a very good wake-up call to prepare and to be on our toes to prepare for World Cup and Asian Games," he added.
The Asian Games will be hosted by Aichi-Nagoya in Japan from September 19 to October 4, while the World Cup will be jointly organised by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
Post retirement after Paris Games, Sreejesh is now the coach of Indian men's junior hockey team and he is enjoying his current journey.
"Same routine, when you wake up early in the morning it's about preparing the players, ensure they are doing their best and rest of the day prepare for the next session, analysing the players.
"The only thing is that I am stressing my mind more now, earlier I used to stress my physical part but now it's about my mental part. But I am enjoying," he said.
India is set to host the FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 till December 10 this year, and Sreejesh is not leaving no stone unturned to prepare his players.
"For them (players) the biggest challenge is Junior World Cup because four-nation tournaments and stuffs like that are not going to throw enough pressure on them as the Junior World Cup. My duty is to share my experience with them, how to prepare for a big tournament, big matches," he said.
"I faced enough pressure being a player and now being a coach I think it is upto me to take that pressure from the players . I am helping them to be realistic. Being a coach sharing experience as a player is more important." India are clubbed along side Pakistan, Chile and Switzerland in Pool B at the Junior World Cup.
Even though uncertainty looms large over Pakistan's participation in the Junior World Cup owing to tensions between the two countries following Operation Sindoor, Sreejesh doesn't want to focus on one particular team.
"We are in the same pool (India and Pakistan) but I don't want my players to think about one particular team," he said.
"Any tournament starts from the quarterfinals, the main moto is to gather as much points as you can to ensure your place in the quarterfinals and from there the main tournament starts.
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