Indian hockey ready for Rio test: Sreejesh

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, July 23

FROM a no-hoper to Indian captain, P R Sreejesh’s journey is a wonderful tale of grit and gumption. The Kerala player will lead the Indian hockey team in the August 5-21 Olympics in Rio. It is a huge assignment for the humble goalkeeper who has prepared his team to change perception about Indian hockey that returned with a wooden spoon in the 2012 Olympics in London.
‘The Hitavada’ got Sreejesh talking in an exclusive interview before the Indian team left for Madrid on their way to Rio. He spoke freely about his humble start as a player and transformation as a leader. He talked about the nuances of man management and team bonding. And he was well aware of the expectations from the team after their recent success in Azlan Shah and Champions Trophy tournaments.
“We were waiting for this Olympics since 2012. It was a disaster. We all want to change that,” Sreejesh said about the upbeat mood in the Indian camp. The team had a very good preparatory camp in Bengaluru.
Sreejesh knows it would be important to have a well-knit unit to succeed in Olympics. He is banking on his players’ sense of responsibility and willingness to contribute to strategies. “We have given them responsibilities. When they start taking responsibilities they would know their importance and start feeling “It’s my responsibility to help the team win.” That’s my way of leading a team,” the 30-year-old said.
For a youngster making debut in 2004 Sreejesh never ever thought in his wildest of dreams that he would one day lead India. “I never imagined of getting selected in the national team, leave aside leading it,” he confided even as he conceded it to Fate and Destiny.
“My basic aim was to get selected for Kerala team and play nationals. But when I got selected for the national camp I started believing that I can play for the country,” he recalled. In the spotlight for his superlative performance under the bar against Pakistan in the gold-winning Asian Games final, Sreejesh said he did not want the limelight.
“I want my players to hog the limelight. In India most of the time the limelight is on captain. But for me, my team-mates should get the importance, all the 16 players, because they are representing our country,” he said. Sreejesh feels India have the potential to have a good run in Rio. The team’s progress, he said, started from 2013 Asia Cup and after the Asian Games gold the team was able to continue with the core group. This will stand India in good stead in Brazil, asserted the captain.
(Full interview on Page 10)