NEW DELHI: Former India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh feels that the relaunch of the Hockey India League (HIL) will be a ‘nursery’ for youngsters to earn a call-up for the national team.
The HIL 2024-25 will feature eight men’s teams and six women’s teams, marking the first time a standalone women’s league will run concurrently with the men’s competition. The pool for both the Indian men’s and women’s will see the additions of newcomers in the future.
Sreejesh, who retired after the Paris Olympics with more than a decade-long experience in the international circuit, said the HIL experience will prove as a stepping stone for rookie players with exposure to Indian and international stars.
“Seriously, it’s going to be a nursery for them (youngsters). They can learn anything. They can learn everything from this tournament, from starting from, you see the pressure handling because you are playing in front of a very big crowd. And second thing is like you are in a short span of time, you’re playing a lot of matches, more than 10, more than 12 matches you are playing. Or if you are getting into the finals, I mean around 16 matches you are playing, ” Sreejesh told IANS.
“Then after that, when it comes to a team, you are learning from the seniors or from the foreigners, you are learning about the team management, how you are motivating the players, how we are communicating during a team meeting, or how we are taking initiative in a training session, or how are you preparing yourself for a match, or how are you cooling down, warm down after a match. So you can learn everything here. And most importantly, you mature as a player, you mature as an international player. It’s not for beginners but for anyone. Even the players, those who are playing at the international level or so, they can learn from the seniors, those who are part of this tournament, ” he added.
Despite not playing in the HIL, Sreejesh is yet closely involved with the tournament as the director and mentor of the Delhi SG Pipers – the franchise that will have participation in both men’s and women’s editions of the tournament, to be played in Rourkela and Ranchi from December 28.
Commenting on the men’s team’s squad combination, the 36-year-old expressed confidence in his former India teammates along with his junior men’s team players to do the job for the franchise.
“See, we got Shamsher, Jarmanpreet, Raju (Raj Kumar Pal) from the last Olympics, and Varun Kumar definitely from the 2021 Olympic Games, who got the flavour of the Olympics medal. So they are excited to be here. I believe that they can guide youngsters from my junior team, the players from the under-21, Rohit, Ankit and Dilraj. So these players can learn from these seniors, first of all, ” he said.
“Delhi SG Pipers, what talented youngsters here in this team. Good team and good speed players. I think with a director post, or you can say it’s a mentor post, my duty is to take this team into their best performance. I just keep on telling my players that just enjoy this tournament because it’s not less than an international match. You are playing against the top players of the world. You are playing alongside the best players in the world. So you can learn a lot of things. You can try a lot of things. And this is the platform where you can get direct tickets to the national team. So just to enjoy this period is really important. So as a director, I’m also learning a lot of things from this. So it’s going to be a new start for it in hockey, ” Sreejesh added.
With Sreejesh moved on to a coaching role with the men’s junior team post international retirement, the former goalkeeper heaps high praise on Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera for continuing the legacy left behind by him.
“See, I think it’s a big opportunity for all of them. I mean, Pathak and Suraj are there definitely because they joined me after 2016 Junior World Cup. From there, they were there with me for almost eight years. So I have known these guys from childhood till now, they are doing a wonderful job. They are great goalkeepers. Simultaneously, Pawan is doing good and Mohith, who played the last Junior World Cup, they are doing great jobs. They are pushing Suraj and Pathak to the next level.
“The healthy competition happening, these four is going to help Indian hockey or Indian goalkeeping to get into the next level. So I think I don’t mind part, I set a level. So now it’s their duty to push the level to the higher level so that the upcoming players will trust the goalkeeping in a better way. And I hope these people will not create any situation to miss me on the field, ” Sreejesh concluded.
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