Hockey India announced that Hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, will take over as the head coach of junior men’s hockey team. Sreejesh contributed to India’s bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, took part in his final match in the bronze medal playoff against Spain, which India won 2-1. He faced 62 shots in the Olympics and saved 50 of them.
In a news conference, Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh announced PR Sreejesh as the new head coach of the junior team. He said, “Goalkeeper has played his last match today, but I want to announce that Sreejesh will be the head coach of the Junior India Hockey team. We will discuss this with the SAI and the Government of India.”
Hockey India will consult the appointment of Sreejesh, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and the Government of India. This is considered to be a proper strategic decision by the Indian hockey authorities to prepare the new generation Indian hockey players under the supervision of an experienced player like Sreejesh.
Sreejesh’s assignment comes in the aftermath of what could be described as a historic India, which won two consecutive bronze medals at the Paris Olympics for the first time since the 1972 Munich Olympics.
India’s captain of the team, who scored a brace in the bronze medal match, has expressed the same, stating the need for Sreejesh in the team. Harmanpreet said, “This is a very big thing, we won back-to-back bronze, and we tried for gold, but this is the journey, and we will learn from this in the future, Sreejesh is a fantastic player.”
Sreejesh has retired from international hockey, but he is still to remain part of hockey in India as he has been given the position of head coach for the junior team of the federation. Thus, the trust placed on him with this appointment by Hockey India is clear, because the task involves preparing the next generation of Indian hockey talents.
