Times of India: Sreejesh hopes for a consistent show
By Prasanth Menon
KOCHI: From the maidans of GV Raja Sports School, Thiruvananthapu ram, to being named as the captain of Indian hockey team, PR Sreejesh has come a long way. Though he may only be a stand-in captain for the Champions Trophy hockey tournament as Sardar Singh is likely to return as the skipper for the six-nation tournament in Spain and the Rio Olympics, the lad from Kochi is delighted at his elevation.
“I didn’t expect this. It is a huge honour. I know this is a temporary appointment. But whether you captain Indian team for one game or for one year, I will always be known as former Indian captain, isn’t it,?” the custodian of Indian citadel for the last half a decade told TOI.
Returning to the squad after being rested for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, the 30-year-old reckons the Champions Trophy in London is going to be the beginning of match-wise preparation for the team for Rio Olympics. “We will be playing against top teams in the next two months, first in the Champions Trophy and then in the six-nation tournament in Spain. We have beaten all the top sides in the last two years. But what we have lacked is consistency in big tournaments. We will strive for a consistent performance in Champions Trophy. I think the best performance of an Indian team in Champions trophy is a third place finish (in 1982). We will try to better that record,” said Sreejesh.
The Arjuna award winner feels that month-long camp in Bengaluru has done a world of good to the team. “I think the camp has been great. A lot of scientific input has been used in this training camp which has helped players immensely,” he said.