Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Healthy competition between juniors and seniors will take Indian Hockey forward: PR Sreejesh

Indian Hockey team's senior goalkeeper PR Sreejesh is optimistic about team's bright future and is confident that boys in blue are excited about big tournaments lined-up in the year 2018.

By Avinash
Healthy competition between juniors and seniors will take Indian Hockey forward: PR Sreejesh

New Delhi, Feb 16: Indian Hockey team's senior goalkeeper PR Sreejesh is optimistic about team's bright future and is confident that boys in blue are excited about big tournaments lined-up in the year 2018.

Exclusive interview with India captain Manpreet SinghExclusive interview with India captain Manpreet Singh

There Is An Internal Competition Also For Sreejesh - Coach Marijne

The 29-year-old has been representing India for the last 12 years and has been the team's most dependable custodian. After remaining out of action for almost eight months due to injury in his right knee, Sreejesh made a comeback during Four Nation Invitational Tournament in New Zealand.

The former India captain went through the trauma during the injury lay-off as he was barely able to walk in that period and had to depend on his family members' support to even stand. But the Tamil Nadu-based goalkeeper feels it takes a lot of mental strength for one to overcome it and get back on the field.

Odisha to sponsor Hockey IndiaOdisha to sponsor Hockey India

The Kumarapuram born now finds himself on the list of 33 probable players for the upcoming tournaments like Sultan Azlan Shah Cup next month, and the Commonwealth Games in April.

MyKhel had an exclusive interaction with the senior-pro and talked at length about his fitness and on various other subjects. Here are the excerpts:

How are you feeling now after recovering from the knee injury?

I am feeling good now. The recovery period after the injury was a tough one as I was lying all the time on the bed and taking everything in one place. I almost had to learn walking again after that knee surgery, it was a very tough phase. But I kept myself motivated by reading books and autobiographies.

How excited is the team about the challenges 2018 is going to throw at you guys?

Very excited for the team as we have a big year ahead of us. We have big tournaments lined up like Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Cup so are looking forward with an energyful mind.

Assuming that we did really well the last time so we are taking it to the next one and the Azlan Shah Cup is going to be a good rehearsal for us. Big teams are going to be there so it is up to the selectors whether they want to send a heavy team or try some youngsters.

There are quite a few senior guys in the team like you, Sardar Singh, etc. What is the role and future of the seniors in the side?

See, its all about performance, whether you are senior or a junior that doesn't mean your place in the team is intact. It's about how you are performing for your team on the field so one is going to be rewarded on that merit.

Coming to seniors, they have got the experience and it becomes a significant factor when you face tough opponents. So senior players help the youngsters perform well against bigger teams, motivate them and give vital instructions to them so that they do not panic in pressure situations.

The role of the seniors is to mentor the team and help the youngsters get ready for the big stages.

How's the young pool of talents coming up?

Yes, they are really good. I think the newcomers are getting better opportunities and exposure. The junior team is working with us in the camp in Bengaluru so they are getting enough opportunities to watch and interact with us. Also, whenever they are getting an opportunity in the senior side, they are availing it. You can see in the last Test matches some youngster got a chance and they really proved their mettle. There is a healthy contest between seniors and the young blood in the team which is really good for the side.

We are talking about playing attacking game now, but we have also conceded many goals in the last tournament. How is the team going to balance it?

See if you concede ten goals and score eleven, then you are a winner. At the end of the day, it hardly matters how many goals you did or how many you conceded, instead it all boils down to who won and who lost. So our main focus must be on winning. Definitely, we have conceded too many goals so we'll have to work on our defensive structure inside the circle and learn from the mistakes we committed. Look attack is the best form of defence and we have been scoring goals well, so we have to just polish on that because scoring more goals means we win more.

Story first published: Friday, February 16, 2018, 14:51 [IST]
Other articles published on Feb 16, 2018