Indians To Watch Out For: PR Sreejesh
The Indian men’s hockey team has won many laurels in the past and they have impressed audiences time and again. The men’s team find themselves once again at the doors of Olympics, this time in Rio. And leading the Indian team will be PR Sreejesh, the ever consistent goal keeper who has saved India on so many occasions. Sreejesh is relatively new as a captain but will have the likes of the former captain Sardar Singh to assist with the duties.
Indian hockey team has lost the charm that it displayed in the earlier years of the Olympics. Nowayears, it is always a tremendous struggle for the team to even make it to the Games.
Qualification
India clinched qualification at the Olympics with their important win at the Asian Games in 2014. The Indian hockey team will march onto the Olympics as the Asian Champions.
Earning the spotlight
PR Sreejesh deserves a lot of credit for the revival of the Indian hockey team. It was after he sealed his place in front of goal that there was solidarity in the defence. The defenders could back on him and he led the defenders well into guarding the net from opposition attackers. He has been around the Indian hockey scene for nearly a decade but has found opportunities in the senior team after 2011.
Sreejesh had made two very important penalty stroke saves against arch rivals Pakistan that helped clinch the Asian Champions Trophy. In Asia Cup 2013, he was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament and India finished second in the tournament.
He was also part of the Indian Olympic team in 2012 as well as the World Cup team in 2014. But neither Sreejesh nor the team had any luck there and returned empty handed. The highlight of Sreejesh’s career came when he competed for the best male goal keeper award in 2014; he eventually lost to Dutchman Jaap Stockmann.
Route to Rio
It can be said that team India’s performance is largely linked to the performance of their goal keeper and now captain PR Sreejesh. If he has done well it is likely that India too has done well in the tournament.
India went through a rough patch in hockey till 2014 World Cup. However, things began to turn around as India impressed with a gold medal finish at the Asian Games in 2014 and followed it up with a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. Their impressive form continued in 2015 with a bronze medal in the World Hockey League.
The team has since travelled to Europe, New Zealand for bilateral test series in preparations and has been impressive on most occasions. However, India still faces a little difficulty in their games against the top ranked oppositions.
Medal Quest
Unlike the women’s hockey team, the men’s hockey team has been fairly consistent in tournaments and preparation matches. But the carrying the hopes of a billion people is not easy. The team does not look ascertain to bring back a medal from the Rio Olympics. But it is unlikely that they would go down without a fight.