CHENNAI: Indian hockey legend PR Sreejesh has no doubt in her mind that the void he left after his retirement will eventually be filled though he has set a high benchmark for the younger goalkeepers to emulate.
The 36-year-old Sreejesh retired following his final outing during the Paris Olympics in August, as the national team finished with a bronze medal under the guidance of head coach Craig Fulton.
While his retirement has brought a massive void in Indian hockey’s goalkeeping department, Sreejesh is confident that there will eventually be someone to fill it up.
“There will be someone who will fill my shoes, for sure. After Sachin (Tendulkar), we all felt that, okay, there would be a gap. But Virat Kohli came, and he filled it. So, it goes the same way,” Sreejesh told reporters on the sidelines of the ‘Road to Brisbane 2032’ event here on Saturday.
“I kept the benchmark on a high note so that these guys could work hard to get there and to perform better than that. So, I always believe these kids are good enough to perform better than me.”
Following his retirement, Sreejesh took up head coach’s duties of the national U-21 team, having previously admitted that he is also eager to become the coach of the senior national team at some point in time.
Asked about the coaching staff he plans to have in the national U-21 set-up, Sreejesh revealed, “I requested Hockey India for Birendra Lakra and SV Sunil. Those who are exceptional great hockey players and play in different positions.
“And, with the three of us, with me being a goalkeeper, it is quite easy to organize the team. But for now, the team has two coaches.”
Sreejesh was also asked about the debate on having Indian or overseas coach for the national team.
“I always believe that there are a lot of positives when a foreign coach comes in. They bring in a lot of experience and new studies, which always benefits us in some other way,” he reckoned.
“Not just the players, I also want them to train our coaches so that they learn from them and use those inputs to develop our players.”
On his immediate target as coach, Sreejesh maintained that it would be important to start by winning the Junior World Cup next year, set to be held in India.
“The 2025 Junior World Cup is the first target for this group, but ultimately, these kids are preparing for LA (Los Angeles) or 2032 Olympic Games (in Brisbane). I want to make sure that these guys’ bases are stronger so that they build from there and will reach the top level.”
“HIL is a platform where youngsters can perform and showcase talent”
With the Hockey India League set to be revived later this year, Sreejesh called it the perfect platform for youngsters to get exposure to international standards.
“HIL is a great platform. When you look into it, it’s a platform where the youngsters can come up, perform and showcase their talent, and that’s the easiest shortcut to get into the National League,” he stated.
“Because there are hidden talents who never got an opportunity, (and) now, they are getting it in a worldwide platform where they come. Also, it’s indirectly helping the players to mature because you are playing along with the best players.
“You are learning from them the leadership quality, the initiative, and what they take in a team environment. And over to that, you are accommodating the pressure.”
Sreejesh had clarified earlier that he won’t be competing in the HIL but will instead take up the role of Director of Hockey with the Delhi franchise.
Explaining his role, he maintained that he would mainly act as a mentor to the team members.
“I will be a mentor for the team members. I will be with them and be an assistant coach for my coaching staff. And I will act like a bridge between the corporate and the team, that’s it.
“So, my job is just to coordinate everything. But yeah, I act like an ambassador there,” he signed off.
