Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
The Indian men’s hockey team are set to defend their title at the Asian Games, starting 18 August in Jakarta. And while the squad recently returned home with a silver from the Champions Trophy in Netherlands, captain PR Sreejesh believes that the Asiad will pose a different kind of challenge for them.
It’s a different tournament because in Champions Trophy we faced almost all the European teams, and all the top teams. Now when it comes to Asia, the game style is totally different. We met Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, but other than that we need to face teams like Korea and Malaysia.PR Sreejesh, Indian Captain
“So the level of hockey is completely different. It’s more about us in this tournament, how we’re performing, how we’re performing against the weakest opponent, how we can perform consistently throughout the tournament. That’s going to be a big task for us,” he added.
The winner of the Games will directly qualify for the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo, and Sreejesh believes that that’s add going to add a different level of pressure.
“I think in Asian Games all the matches are really tough because points are really important to reach the semis and finals. The pressure is completely different because all the teams are there to qualify for the Olympics,” said the senior goalkeeper.
PR Sreejesh spent six months in rehab in 2017, after injuring himself at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He made a comeback to the team during for the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, but was not named captain. But the skipper believes nothing changed during his time away.
I don’t think anything changed. Whether I was captain or was not captain, I was doing my duty as a senior player. Being a goalkeeper, I spoke to the defenders and the midfielders during games. In hockey, a captain has more duty off the field. You need to unite the players and do more team-bonding activities which have to be fun, not formal.PR Sreejesh
The Champions Trophy in June-July this year marked Sreejesh’s return to captaincy. He led India to their second straight silver medal at the last edition of the tournament.
“On the field I’m not the captain, just a goalkeeper. That’s my first duty.”
“We distribute responsibility in the team. Among the defenders, Harmanpreet, Birendra, Bob (Rupinder) have to take leadership. And among the midfielders Manpreet, Sardar, even Chinglensana have to take the lead. In the forward, Sunil, Akash and Mandeep are there to take responsibility(sic).”
“It’s my duty to give life to my team, and on the field I’m just a goalkeeper saving the post,” said Sreejesh.
World No 5 Indian team, who recently overtook Germany in the FIH rankings, will be the highest-ranked at this year’s Asian Games. They have been clubbed in Pool A with Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China.
“You can’t take any team as a weak opponent. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Korea, Japan or any of the other teams will be tough opponents. It’s all about us, how we play, how we want to play,” concluded Sreejesh.
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