New Indian Express: Master-class for understudies: Sreejesh to mentor team at junior World Cup

By Swaroop Swaminathan

BENGALURU : The national hockey team’s primary skipper PR Sreejesh will travel with the junior side as a mentor during next month’s World Cup in Lucknow.

It’s no secret that Sreejesh has been working with custodians of the junior team for a couple of weeks at the camp in Bengaluru and this development means his inputs have obviously been well received by the management.
“Yes, I will be there with the side during the duration of the tournament,” Sreejesh told Express after a workout which involved both the junior keepers (Vikas Dahiya and Krishan B Pathak). “I will join there after a small break. South Africa’s goalkeeping coach Dave Staniforth will join the team in the mean­time.”

It’s clear the 28-year-old, who led the seniors to victory at the Asian Champions Trophy in Kuantan, likes coaching. “Coaching is a passion for me,” he said. There is a lovely paradox which comes with a coach. You coach till you make yourself redundant to the players. However, Sreejesh’s viewpoint is fascinating to hear.

“This (training goalkeepers) is also the time for me to study and analyse myself. It’s about just teaching them or assisting them to do their best. Coaching them will help me learn where I am making mistakes with respect to my game. Because when I am teaching them I also get to learn a bit about more myself and my game.”

The team itself was announced on Friday and even though it’s the juniors, there are a few familiar names at the international level. Harmanpreet Singh, part of the Blues side which went to the Olympics, is the most prominent. Mandeep Singh and skipper Harjeet Singh, two players who have already played quite a few matches for the senior team, are capable of putting their match expertise to good use.

The side is leaving for Lucknow early next week and nothing has been left to chance according to the chief coach Harendra Kumar. “I think we are ready to hit the ground running. We are ready mentally as well as physically,” he told this newspaper. “I have always said this and I will say it again. I am approaching the tournament in three phases. The first phase is the matches in the group stage. If you win all three matches in the group stage, you are not only confident but you also essentially pick your opponents in the quarterfinals. “The next two pha­s­­es are all about handling pressu­re. Not just pressure but executi­ng plans while keeping the em­­otions in check. I think we are re­ady to create history. Let’s se­e.”