Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Indian hockey legend PR Sreejesh has escalated his public disagreement with Hockey India, posting a sharp response after the federation defended its decision not to renew his contract as junior men’s team coach.The two-time Olympic medallist, whose 17-month stint ended after India’s bronze-medal finish at the Junior World Cup, used social media to directly challenge comments made by Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.“When the Hockey India president offered me the development team, I asked a few simple questions: Do we really have a development team? Who are the players in this development group? What is the structure of the program? What camps are approved for them? What tournaments are they preparing for? There were no answers to any of these questions,” Sreejesh wrote.
Sreejesh questions foreign-heavy setup
Sreejesh also questioned the federation’s coaching structure, highlighting what he called the increasing reliance on overseas staff.“After winning a Junior World Cup bronze medal as chief coach, making me a goalkeeper coach again — is that considered a promotion or a demotion?” he asked.He then listed the current setup: four teams, six foreign coaches, three foreign strength and conditioning coaches, one foreign video analyst, two visiting foreign goalkeeper coaches and one visiting foreign sports psychologist.“Lucky that at least we still have one Indian coach in each team,” he added, in a pointed remark.The former goalkeeper also referenced junior and youth pathways, suggesting even under-18 teams could soon move in the same direction.“Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal are doing a great job, but maybe the president feels they are still not experienced enough or qualified enough to coach Indian teams. So can we expect more foreign coaches there as well?”
Hockey India’s defence
Hockey India has denied any bias, insisting Sreejesh’s contract simply expired in December 2025 and that a standard application process was followed. The federation appointed Frederic Soyez as the new junior men’s coach on Thursday.Tirkey said Sreejesh was offered a role leading the development team and a broader goalkeeping assignment, but the former star declined.Sreejesh had earlier alleged that senior coach Craig Fulton preferred a foreign coach for the junior side, a claim Hockey India rejected.The exchange has now become one of Indian hockey’s most high-profile public disputes, with one of its greatest players openly challenging the federation over opportunities for Indian coaches.
