PR Sreejesh helped India win the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy, and then helped the team qualify for the Olympics, keeping out every threat in front of goal in the qualifying final against France.
His performances have earned him a first Olympic berth as the second goalkeeper in the team, along with captain Bharat Chhetri. He should get plenty of chances to prove himself on the biggest stage, as Sreejesh is sure to start a few matches.
Sreejesh spoke to Samikshan Dutta Choudhury of Indian Sports News about the Olympics, his preparations and more on the sidelines of a function hosted by Hockey India to felicitate former Olympians. Excerpts:
ISN: This is your first Olympics. How are you feeling?
Sreejesh: It is a great feeling. I am high on confidence and feel very positive. I am working very hard on my game, and I hope I can live up to people’s expectations and contribute to the team’s success.
ISN: Team India has been playing good hockey of late. What are your expectations from the team?
Sreejesh: Yes, we have been performing well for quite some time now, and the team is in high spirits before going to the Olympics. We have two test events coming up in France and Spain, and we will get some useful match practice there as well. The competition is tough, but we are no underdogs either. We are going to London to win, and we will put our best foot forward to achieve that goal.
ISN: How much will meeting the golden greats of Indian hockey before leaving for the Olympics help?
Sreejesh: This is something surreal. Meeting Indian legends like Leslie Claudius and Keshav Dutt, among others, who are role models for the game, before the Olympics is so motivating. The words of wisdom they shared with us tonight, their expectations of us and their blessings will help us a great deal in London.
ISN: Nobbs has instilled an attacking style in the team. Do you think the team can physically sustain that attacking style for 70-odd minutes?
Sreejesh: Yes, we are fit, and people cannot simply say that we can’t sustain 70 minutes playing that kind of game. We have fitness experts and physios who work on our fitness, and we stick to this style in practice too. So it will not be a problem for us.
ISN: Sreejesh, defence has been a weak link for the team. It has been said that Dilip Tirkey will join the Olympic team as a manager and help you all with defence.
Sreejesh: I cannot say who is joining the team, but it would help if a senior person joined the team’s think-tank. While playing, we do not always see where we are lagging and what we need to rectify. If there is someone who can see it from outside and give us pointers, we can certainly put the problems right.
