Coach Sreejesh: a man on a mission to bring home the FIH junior men’s hockey World Cup

India’s legendary goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh’s vocation has been marked by galore successes, but a regret remains: helium has ne'er won a inferior oregon elder World Cup medal.

Despite playing successful a inferior hockey World Cup (2005) and 4 elder World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018, and 2023) and clinching Olympic bronze successful Tokyo and Paris, a World Cup medal eluded him.

Now, astatine 37, Sreejesh is aiming to alteration it, not arsenic a player, but arsenic the caput manager of the Indian squad for the FIH inferior men’s hockey World Cup successful Chennai and Madurai (November 28 to December 10).

Sreejesh, who was portion of the Indian inferior squad successful 2005 that mislaid the bronze medal play-off to Spain, expressed his regret successful a caller media interaction. “In the 4 (senior) World Cups, we couldn’t scope the semifinals. We were not capable to interaction the World Cup. It’s ever a regret successful my career,” Sreejesh said successful a virtual media enactment connected Friday.

In his archetypal large duty arsenic coach, Sreejesh emphasised a relaxed approach, avoiding unnecessary unit connected the players. “Use the fans (and expectations) arsenic your 12th man,” helium said, encouraging his squad to spot the tourney arsenic a stepping chromatic successful their journey, alternatively than an overwhelming challenge.

Sreejesh besides reflected connected the Indian team’s metallic medal astatine the caller Sultan of Johor Cup, wherever it mislaid to Australia successful the final. “The metallic medal boosted our morale contempt concerns implicit punishment country conversions, which were addressed successful the grooming camp,” helium said.

The team, led by skipper Rohit, is assured heading into the World Cup. “We’ve been practising a lot, and we are prepared,” the skipper said.

However, the lack of Araijeet Singh Hundal owed to a enarthrosis wounded is simply a setback, though Sreejesh is assured the replacements are much than capable.

India’s excavation B features Chile, Switzerland and Oman, with Sreejesh suggesting that the existent situation volition beryllium successful the knockout rounds (quarterfinals). He believes the cardinal volition beryllium to support precocious levels of show passim the radical stages to physique momentum for the tougher matches ahead.

The Indian team: Goalkeepers: Bikramjit Singh, Princedeep Singh; Defenders: Rohit, Talem Priyobarta, Anmol Ekka, Amir Ali, Sunil Palakshappa Bennur, Shardanand Tiwari; Midfielders: Ankit Pal, Thounaojam Ingalemba Luwang, Adrohit Ekka, Rosan Kujur, Manmeet Singh, Gurjot Singh; Forwards: Arshdeep Singh, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Ajeet Yadav, Dilraj Singh; Alternate players: Ravneet Singh, Rohit Kullu.