As a player, PR Sreejesh never stopped smiling, and shouting instructions at his teammates on the field. Now as the junior India coach, he is as animated from the sidelines and remains fun-loving. But for the goalkeeping great, the challenge is to maintain a balance.
“I am strict with them. This age of 18, 19 and 20 is very dangerous. They are like a monkey mind and keep jumping here and there,” Sreejesh chuckles. “Sometimes, they are not bothered about what is required and will focus more on shopping or going out rather than resting. So, when the session happens, I demand their best. They can come and ask me anything. I show them the fun side also but when it comes to hockey, I am serious.”
Sreejesh was talking to The Indian Express on the sidelines of the centenary celebrations of Indian Hockey.
Coaching is his passion
After an illustrious career of close to two decades, Sreejesh finished his playing career last year after winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Before he even decided to retire, Sreejesh was clear in the head that he wanted to become a coach and was working towards it.
“When I retired and was immediately appointed as the coach, everybody thought that it was a quick transition. However, I was preparing myself for this for a long time. After I started contemplating retirement in 2023, I was also chatting with people on how to take up coaching,” said Sreejesh.
Sreejesh used his experience of playing under foreign coaches like Michael Nobbs, Terry Walsh, Paul van Ass, Roelant Oltmans, Sjored Marjine, Graham Reid and Craig Fulton. “I have been with a lot of Indian coaches and also played under some great foreign coaches. I observed the coaches during my playing days. How they manage people, how they train players, what are the drills. I have spent time with Indian coaches, too. So, I tried to learn all the good points from these coaches,” Sreejesh explained. “If not the Indian junior team, I would have been teaching kids back in Kerala.”
In the past year, Sreejesh has coached the Indian junior team in three major competitions and finished on the podium every time. In his first outing, India won bronze at the Sultan of Johor Cup 2024, then clinched Junior Asia Cup title last year and finished runners-up behind Australia in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 last month.
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Flexible approach
Sreejesh said he is building a team that can be ‘flexible to adapt to any situation.’ He cited an historical example from his homeland to explain the flexibility needed. “Back in Kerala during the British era, Pazhassi Raja waged a guerilla war against the British forces in the jungles because he knew that it was tough to fight an army with guns while they only had bows and arrows.
“That is how I coach my team. You need to choose your plans according to the opposition and situation. I always train my team to different situations and different scenarios. What to do when a team is attacking, how to exploit if a team is getting too defensive, situations like this,” explained Sreejesh.
While tactical hockey is synonymous to European teams, the Indian — or, for that matter, the larger subcontinent — style of hockey has its own share of flamboyance and charisma. “We are Indians, the skills are an inevitable part of our game. So, I give my kids freedom to do the skills but it should not come at the cost of the team.”
Preparation for World Cup
Sreejesh will be on his biggest assignment as a coach later this month, when he will be guiding India at the Junior World Cup starting from November 28 in Tamil Nadu.
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“Our last outing was insightful for us. Although I was not happy with the result, it was part of our last stretch of training,” Sreejesh said, referring to the Sultan of Johor Cup results. “It was kind of a wake-up call for us on the areas we have to work on and how we have to plan the upcoming battles. I think penalty corners is one part where we have improved things like efficient trapping and smart flicking but overall I am happy with the preparation.”
In Chennai and Madurai, Sreejesh’s philosophy of blending tactical adaptability with innate Indian flair will face its biggest test.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
