Life after PR Sreejesh, Indian hockey team knows it has to again peak at Asian Champions Trophy 2024

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Less than one month after winning a historic bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Indian hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, will launch their campaign at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in Hulunbuir, China.

Agreed, the depth in the field in comparison to the Olympics is not the same but nothing can be taken for granted. The team returned from Paris, awards and rewards were received and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh walked into sunset.

Life has begun fresh for Sreejesh in Kerala with his family, though he will be involved in coaching assignments with the junior team later. For the Indian team, life minus Sreejesh will be new and a tough one, indeed. The number of times Sreejesh has saved India, literally, is innumerable. But as he himself said, the next generation of goalkeepers will need time to settle down.

It is going to be a challenge. Maybe, for a brief phrase, Hockey India flirted with the idea of a second goalkeeper in the field ahead of Sreejesh. Since the time India won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year and made the cut for Paris, there was no room or time to experiment.

Rewind to mid-2023, a new coach had been brought in -- Craig Fulton -- after Hockey India, known for its hire and fire policy, dismissed Graham Reid for "lack of performance". Anyone who knows India hockey will vouch, that coaches are most dispensable. This time, the coaching staff has been given an extension till the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but that does not mean Fulton and his team can take it easy.

The nature of the beast demands the team keeps performing. As in every other sport, there will be highs and lows but how coach Fulton manages the side in the lead up to the Asian Games in 2026 will define him.

Yes, the Asian Champions Trophy will see India minus some well-known names as well but if the team for the next Olympics has to be built, work begins right away. Pakistan are a weak side and bringing in Tahir Zaman as coach will not act like a magic wand. The other Asian times in fray are not that strong, though India cannot take it easy.

"With a brief break after the Paris Olympics, the team is ready to take on the best hockey playing nations in Asia and prove our mettle. We had a good outing in Paris but hockey is a very close game, we cannot rest on our laurels. The aim will be to play high octane hockey and retain our title," said captain Harmanpreet Singh before leaving for China.

Harmanpreet was outstanding in Paris and he will find the energy and will to do well again like a true professional. It may seem as if the next Asian Games is two years away but time will fly. Add to it the possibility of the Commonwealth Games also being held in 2024 in Manchester, hockey and many other sports will have to reboot. If this appears cruel, reality is one has to keep performing.

A word on Craig Fulton. When the South African took over the coaching job, he was worried. That the boys won the Asian Games and qualified was a huge relief for him. The build-up for the Paris Olympics was with ups and downs but he ensured the team peaked in Paris.

Fulton is aware he has to also be on his toes as Hockey India are ruthless when it comes to sacking coaches. The list of coaches axed is long. And if the team does not win the gold medal in Japan at the next Asian Games, all hell will break loose. So, watch out will be the mantra for the coach and all the players. Minus Sreejesh, life will be very different. A good beginning will be in order.