Indian men’s hockey team stuck in a loop of avoidable mistakes, says P.R. Sreejesh

India finished a disappointing eighth in the recent Hockey World Cup. | Photo Credit: AP

The gap between India’s World Cup exit and the opening whistle at the Asian Games – close to four weeks – gives the players and coaches barely enough time to catch their breath, let alone rebuild completely. And former captain and goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, who believes that Indian hockey is not broken but rather stuck in a loop of avoidable mistakes, attributed the men’s team’s recurring defensive lapses to structural gaps.

“When we used to play, we used to go for more man-to-man marking... Nowadays we’re playing a system which is very deep and different, which needs more communication and understanding, because you may see two or three people in the same zone, and sometimes you get confused about whom you should go and mark,” he explained in a virtual interaction.

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It’s a tactical shift that demands a level of coordination the team hasn’t fully mastered, especially against opponents who thrive on individual skill and interchange running. He was quick to add that goalkeepers shouldn’t shoulder the blame alone for a rocky World Cup campaign.

While all eyes are understandably on the upcoming Asian Games, Sreejesh brushed aside the idea that the team will go into the tournament under pressure, arguing that the Olympics and the World Cup were the real “pressure cookers”. He cited 2018 as evidence, when India missed out on direct Olympic qualification through the Asian Games but found its way to the 2020 Tokyo Games through the qualifiers, and came home with a bronze medal.

In the news regularly now for his frank assessments of the ecosystem, Sreejesh underlined that his intention has never been to criticise anyone. “This is my team. If I don’t tell my players it’s time to wake up, who is going to?” he asked, brushing aside the idea that off-field distractions, like the jersey controversy, have played any role in holding the team back.

The 38-year-old, however, cut a far more measured figure when asked about allegations that a small group of selectors has run the process unchecked for years. “I was surprised to hear that comment about bypassing the board. Hockey India can give a better answer to that,” he said.

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