In a heartfelt message, former Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has expressed his frustration with Hockey India following the disappointing performances of both the men’s and women’s teams at the recent FIH Hockey World Cups. Unfortunately, both teams failed to make it to the semi-finals, marking over 50 years since India last reached the final four stages in these tournaments.
As the teams prepared for the World Cup, discussions around jersey color changes received significant media attention, overshadowing important aspects of their preparation. Compounding the issue, reports emerged that women’s team coach Sjoerd Marijne took an extended break just before the tournament, raising questions about his commitment to the team’s final preparations.
While the women’s team fought hard and narrowly missed out on a spot in the semi-finals, the men’s side struggled considerably. They faced defeat from the Netherlands and suffered a heavy 3-5 loss against Argentina, bringing their World Cup journey to an end. Sreejesh took to social media platform X to criticize Hockey India for seeming to prioritize the Asian Games over the World Cup.
He pointed out the absurdity of the situation, asking how effective the team could be when their head coach is on vacation right before a major championship. He sarcastically remarked, “Don’t worry, the World Cup doesn’t matter,” underscoring his frustrations with the current approach.
Sreejesh acknowledged the efforts of the women’s team, praising their performance in spite of the coaching issue, but he questioned where the accountability lies. He emphasized that expecting top performance from a team with an absent coach during crucial preparation is unrealistic.
Turning to the men’s team, he did not hold back his criticism. He highlighted the mediocrity creeping into Indian hockey, questioning if they are genuinely building a team capable of competing with the best in the world. He expressed concern over the narrative around losses being framed as “learning experiences” rather than acknowledging the need to win.
Sreejesh called for a more serious examination of the state of the teams, asking who would step up to hold the authorities accountable. He noted that despite some recent victories against top teams in Pro League matches, the Indian national teams continue to struggle in significant tournaments.
Looking ahead, India now gears up to face Belgium for the 7th-8th place match, a challenging opponent against whom they have not secured a win in major tournaments since the Champions Trophy in 2014.
The questions raised by Sreejesh resonate deeply as Indian hockey seeks to reclaim its past glory and build a future that can compete at the highest levels.
