‘If you want to make some changes, now is the time’: PR Sreejesh ahead of Asiad 2026

KOLKATA: With the Indian men’s hockey team gearing up to defend their title at the Asian Games, former captain and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh believes the next two years will be crucial not only for winning in Asia but also for building a team capable of challenging the best at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.Sreejesh said that the period after the Asian Games would present an ideal opportunity for changes in the squad and gradual integration of younger players into the senior team. “If you want to make some changes, now is the right time,” Sreejesh told TOI in an exclusive interview.“Next year we play the Pro League, some test matches and maybe the Azlan Shah Trophy. Then the year after that it will be the same set of matches. So after the Asian Games and the Hockey India League, it’s the right time to change the starting group or the coaching staff. Then it will be easier to focus on the two-year cycle and build a new team with a new support staff.”The two-time Olympic medalist, who currently works in Kerala’s education department, also felt that India’s disappointing World Cup campaign should serve as a reality check despite the team’s dominance in Asia.“Asian hockey is not a benchmark. If we are realistically thinking about 2028, we have to look at how we stack up against the best teams in the world,” he said. “Beating a top team once in a tournament is not enough. We need consistency.”While backing India to retain their crown at the Asian Games, where they are in Group A alongside Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia, Sreejesh warned against conceding avoidable wickets and squandering opportunities at the other end.“If the opponent scores with a great save, you can appreciate it. But conceding goals with stupid mistakes is like killing yourself,” he added. “At the same time, getting chances and not converting them is just as costly. We have to be sharper and do the simple things in the best possible way.”Meanwhile, the former India custodian had a message for the two wicketkeepers, Mohith HS and Suraj Karkera, ahead of the continental tournament. Communication would be key, he said, but equally important would be the ability to quickly move on from mistakes.He recalled the advice of one of his goalkeeping coaches, adding: “A goalkeeper should be like a duck. When water falls on a duck, it just rolls away. The goals should be the same. Whether you concede one or make a save, it shouldn’t stay inside you. It should flow out immediately. That’s the mentality a goalkeeper needs.”Looking ahead, Sreejesh, who coached the Indian men’s junior team to a bronze medal at the 2025 World Junior Championship, also stressed the need to create a smoother pathway from junior to senior hockey and warned against leaving a vacuum once the current core group moves on.“The players are doing their job. The system has to do its job. We need to bring youngsters into the senior set-up and give them opportunities to progress at the international level,” said Sreejesh, who recently completed the FIH Level 4 coaching course in Belgium.Despite calls for a longer-term focus on the Olympic cycle, Sreejesh remained bullish on India’s immediate prospects. “At the Asian level, I think we are good enough to win. The team doesn’t need to do anything extraordinary. They just need to play their natural game,” he said.But while he expects India to dominate the Asiad, he believes the tournament should also mark the start of the team’s journey to Los Angeles 2028, with a view to building a team capable of consistently competing with the world’s best.Tuning: Watch Asian Games 2026 live and exclusively on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.