The pent-up emotions of many generations for 41 years have become a canvas on the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo. And while the Indian team basked in the historic moment amid tears of joy, Sreejesh climbed onto the goal post to sit as Mufasa, the Lion King, overseeing his kingdom.
If it weren’t for the bronze medal that returned to the Olympic podium after more than four decades, Sreejesh and a few others of his generation might not have gathered the strength to go on and be here at the Championships. world 2023 co-hosted by Rourkela and Bhubneswar from January 13 to 29.
This is the Indian hockey legend’s fourth World Cup, and his third at home – a feat no player has ever accomplished. Of course, those three World Cups in India that took place over the last 13 years of Sreejesh’s hockey career have been of great help. But that is not what he controls, nor is it fate.
At 34 and after a career spanning 224 international matches, his jokes can be a bit complicated for young people. But Sreejesh didn’t stop pulling those things away from his teammates. That’s his way of bonding.
Aiming to win a World Cup medal, and possibly a gold medal, before putting down his stick, Sreejesh hopes India can succeed.
PR Sreejesh (Beautiful images)
Excerpt:
How does Rourkela treat you?
Rourkela is being nice to me. They have no other choice (laughs).
Much cooler than Bengaluru, and also Bhubneswar….
Ek dum mast thanda hai. North jaisa nahi hai (beautiful and cold, though not as north india), but on days it gets very cold at night, then back to normal.
So will it suit European teams?
It’s there, it benefits them in a way. But for Australians and New Zealanders, it’s summer coming home. So it’s a little different for them. But for the rest, it’s definitely a bit of an advantage.
Can we play Australia in the quarterfinals?
Dependent. If we end up in the lead in our group, then we are likely to face Germany or Belgium. But if we go down (and get to the quartiles through the junction), there is a chance to meet them (Australia) in the quartiles. From day one, no game is easy. Spain, then England and Wales also played very well at the last Commonwealth Games.
On a slightly nostalgic note, is that a special World Cup for you?
Definitely because I think I’m the only lucky player to have had the opportunity to play three World Cups in my own country. I don’t think anyone in the world has this chance. So perhaps, this is part of history. I see this as my last chance to win a World Cup medal. So it’s really nostalgic and a precious thing to me.
After the Olympics, you said you would give yourself another year in international hockey and try to finish on the podium at this World Cup….
I’m at a stage where I can’t dream three or four years away. So I learned to set short goals. This World Cup is my goal, so here I am. Now I have another goal in front of me, which is Asian Games, will come in six or seven months, so I’ll definitely give myself another year. And then the Paris Olympics (in 2024) is coming. So as long as I believe I’m healthy enough and my performance is fine, and if the coaches feel I’m capable of being there (in the team), then I don’t mind playing another year or two. . That is not a problem.
However, like I said, I’m currently setting short-term goals for myself. The World Cup has arrived, so I can look forward to the next Asian Games. And I can say that I will be there until Paris (Olympics), here and there (laughs).
PR Sreejesh (Beautiful images)
At 34, are your jokes still young enough for new boys to get used to?
The jokes are there, but the problem is that the kids are too young to understand my jokes (laughs). So I need to plan my pranks in a better way. I try to create all these funny moments with my teammates who are much younger than their years, so that they don’t feel the distance between me and them. If anything, they can come see me and talk to me. When you’re the boss, they’ll be hesitant to approach you… I want to give them that freedom or open space so they can ask me anything, including their stressful problems. or any family problems. Those things help us build a good team and also help me as a senior to engage with the youngsters. So jokes are part of group cohesion.
The age difference is just off the field. On the pitch, during practice, we challenged each other. They try to score and I try to stop them from doing that. So there are no seniors or juniors there.
The main difference is thinking. When you are young, your blood boils, you are hyperactive, you think a lot, you know you have the energy to do everything. But as you get older, you gain experience, then you become wiser. You make decisions, you don’t do unnecessary things. Like someone younger wants to go to a disco, they want to dance. But when they get to my age, they’ll enjoy sitting in the living room, listening to live music, and eating a good meal. That’s the difference. But on the field, no change. It’s about you hit, I stop.
Would you sit down with these people and tell them how to control adrenaline and avoid unnecessary mistakes?
Sure. After each tournament, we analyze our performance. We discuss it and we point out mistakes… Top teams are top teams because they capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes and they punish them. So that’s the difference. That’s what I always tell young players… that the pressure goes on with your mistakes… Even if you make a small mistake, the pressure in the big leagues makes you feel felt like a big mistake. So I tell them, just focus on your basics, try to do those things the right way, and when that’s good, you’ll look good. And when you look good, you gain confidence. That confidence will help our team do well.
Even at the Tokyo Olympics, after the Australia game (India lost 1-7), people started thinking differently (about the team’s prospects), but we played differently after that. So that’s what I’m looking forward to after this tour of Australia (which happens right before this World Cup).
After the last game on that tour, we learned we couldn’t make the slightest mistake or go in with a 50:50 mentality. Now is the time to realize that we are playing the World Cup and have to give 100% of our efforts. There is no time for regrets.
(Beautiful pictures)
Has the team adapted to the cold weather, which is important because we play all the pool games late in the evening when the temperature drops?
We have been here (in Roukela) for 10-12 days already. It’s a manageable cold. But like I said, some teams will have that advantage because they come from the winter in their own country, so they have the ability to manage that. And we have to do that too. There is no other option (laughs).
Of course, Spain is also a tough team to beat, but do you believe the match against England will decide who tops Group D and goes straight to the quarterfinals?
No, all (difficult) matches. You cannot take any team lightly here. Spain are really good and they have shown it in Pro League matches with their team strategy, planning changes for each game. They come up with new ideas. So they are also a good youth team and even England have played very well. We’ve seen that in the Commonwealth Games and the Pro League. Wales also…You don’t have any matches here to sit back and relax. Every point counts..We just want to finish at the top of our team. On the other hand, you know that in a tournament like the World Cup, if you play an extra match before the quarter-finals (the crosses), it’s an extra effort. So we want to try and avoid that.
