Hockey team had the quality and caliber to play in Paris Oly final: Sreejesh | Hockey News

All those years, as a ‘lone ranger’ under the bar, PR Shreejesh has always supported Team India. Now, as he adjusts to a less hectic life after retirement, he is focused on how he can bring his trademark dedication and energy to his new job as the junior Indian team’s coach.
During an exclusive meeting at the TOI office in Kochi, the 36-year-old former India custodian was unequivocal: “We tend to pamper players. But I think you should always challenge them and give them more tasks. I will put pressure on the players.”
Sreejesh said India had everything going for them in Paris and it was “disappointing” that we didn’t get gold this time. “India had the quality and caliber play in the (hockey) final in Paris,” he said emphatically, adding that “one day we will be the best team in the world”.
He spoke at length about what sets a goalkeeper apart from the other 10 players on the team. “He doesn’t actually play hockey on the grass. He’s a lone ranger. Even when the goalkeeper makes a save or concedes a goal, he’s alone.” He dismissed comparisons with Emiliano Martinez, Argentina’s 2022 World Cup goalkeeper, as far-fetched, but said chance is as important as instincts for a goalkeeper, quoting the colloquial Malayalam proverb: “a jackfruit may crash, but the rabbit shoots in time.”
Finally, Sreejesh categorically denied any doubts about his decision to quit. “It’s a happy ending for me. I retired after winning the Olympic bronze and had the honour of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony.”
For 18 long years, PR Sreejesh has been an example of dedication on the hockey field. TOI got a glimpse of his sense of dedication on Friday. After reaching the city early on Friday morning from Delhi, Sreejesh agreed to visit TOI’s Kochi office in the morning. But soon he came to know that his daughter Anusree was unwell and told us that she had to be admitted to the hospital. But he promised that he would come to our office once the doctors were done with his daughter’s medical examination. As promised, the two-time Olympic bronze medallist arrived at 2 pm, accompanied by his wife Aneeshya and Anusree. In a long, casual chat with Team TOI, Sreejesh opened up on a number of topics. Excerpts:
Many great players, including Messi, have made a turnaround after announcing their departure. pension. HI President Dilip Tirkey himself called on you to continue…
In today’s world, such grand farewell ceremonies are rare. Irrespective of the sport or the level of competition, athletes rarely get a send-off of this magnitude. For me, it is a happy ending. It is a fitting end to a remarkable career. What if I decide to return and it turns out to be a mistake? The media and fans will be quick to criticise and question my comeback. I retired after winning the Olympic bronze and had the honour of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony. On my return home, Hockey India organised a great reception and my jersey number (16) is now retired. For a sportsman, it is difficult to imagine a greater tribute than this.
Are you disappointed that despite winning the bronze medal at the Olympics, you didn’t win gold?
Certainly. It is a fact that India had the quality and calibre to play in the final. Perhaps that was the reason why there was not as much celebration as there was with the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The medal at the Tokyo Olympics brought immense joy and relief. Here the joy of winning was limited. There was some disappointment because the team should have won the semi-final and played the final.
Which of your two Olympic bronze medals is most special: Tokyo or Paris?
Tokyo is special because it came without any expectations. Every time we went to the Olympics, people said that India would win a medal in hockey. However, I only got a medal at my third Olympics. Celebrating and enjoying that moment is a special memory. Tokyo bronze will have a place of honor in my heart.
How do you deal with pressure?
Pressure has become a habit now. What I tell our players is that an uncomfortable zone is our pressure zone. When I say my comfort zone, it’s an uncomfortable zone that you can’t even imagine. Imagine the scenario in a shootout, the weight of a billion people is on you.
How have you managed to remain largely injury-free during your career?
It’s not that I was completely injury-free. I was sidelined for eight months once. But the point is that I ignored a lot of injuries in my career. Both toes are broken, with displaced bones on the inside and I didn’t try surgery or proper treatment then. I played with painkillers. Only God knows how many disc herniations I have. About ten years ago there were about six disc herniations.
You are tasked with coaching the Indian junior team. How are you going to approach that?
I will put pressure on the players. I will give everyone in the coaching team specific tasks and they have to do it seriously and send me reports. We tend to spoil the players. But as a coach I think you should always challenge the players and give them more tasks. Another thing is documentation, we have to give them (the players) the right reports.
Will your retirement create a vacuum?
I think in the next two tournaments there will be comparisons with the next keeper, (Krishan) Pathak or Suraj (Karkera), whoever steps into my shoes. After two months it will fade away. They will compare him with the next person. It will not be a big problem as long as India is winning because people will not notice your mistakes. It is when you lose that you will be asked questions. If we had not won this time, Harman (Harmanpreet) and I would have been criticised a lot because we made a lot of mistakes.