KOLKATA: With the Indian men’s hockey team preparing to defend its Asian Games title, former captain and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh believes the next two years will be crucial not just for winning in Asia but for building a team capable of challenging the world’s best at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.Sreejesh said the period following the Asian Games would present the ideal opportunity to make changes to the squad and gradually integrate younger players into the senior setup. “If you want to make any changes, this is the right time,” Sreejesh told TOI in an exclusive interview.“Next year we play the Pro League, some Test matches and maybe Azlan Shah Trophy. Then the year after, it’s going to be the same set of matches. So, after the Asian Games and the Hockey India League, this is the right time to change the core group or the coaching staff. Then it becomes easier to focus on a two-year cycle and build a new team with a new support staff.”The two-time Olympic medallist, who is currently working in Kerala’s Education Department, also felt India’s disappointing World Cup campaign should serve as a reality check despite the team’s dominance in Asia.“Asian hockey is not the benchmark. If we are realistically thinking about 2028, we need to look at where we stand 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 the Asian Games crown, where they are in Group A, alongside Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia, Sreejesh cautioned against conceding avoidable goals and squandering opportunities at the other end.“If the opposition scores through a brilliant move, you can appreciate that. But conceding goals through silly mistakes is like killing yourself,” he added. “At the same time, getting chances and not converting them is equally costly. We just need to be sharper and do the simple things in the best way possible.”The former India custodian, meanwhile, had a message for the two goalkeepers, Mohith HS and Suraj Karkera, ahead of the continental tournament. Communication, he said, would be key, but equally important would be the ability to quickly move on after mistakes.Recalling advice from one of his own goalkeeping coaches, he added: “A goalkeeper should be like a duck. When water falls on a duck, it just rolls off. Goals should be the same. Whether you concede one or make a save, it shouldn’t stay with you. It should drain 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 Junior World Cup, also underlined the need to create a smoother pathway from junior to senior hockey, warning 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 integrate youngsters into the senior setup and give them opportunities to progress at the international level,” said Sreejesh, who recently completed the FIH Level 4 coaching course in Belgium.Despite calling for a longer-term focus on the Olympic cycle, Sreejesh remained confident about India’s immediate prospects. “For 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 even as he expects India to dominate at the Asiad, he believes the tournament should also mark the beginning of the team’s road to Los Angeles 2028, with an eye on building a squad capable of consistently competing with the world’s best.Tune-In: Watch Asian Games 2026 live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.
