PR Sreejesh questioned the lack of accountability after India’s World Cup disappointments
He raised concerns over the women’s team’s preparation, including the chief coach's absence before the tournament
Sreejesh warned against using the Asian Games and LA 2028 to move on without addressing the World Cup failures
India’s World Cup campaigns may be over, but the questions surrounding the teams’ performances and preparations are only getting louder. Former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has openly questioned the lack of accountability within Indian hockey after both the men’s and women’s teams failed to reach the semi-finals.
The criticism came after contrasting exits for the two sides. The men’s team suffered a 3-5 defeat against Argentina, while the women’s team saw their semi-final hopes end following a 0-0 draw against Australia. While Sreejesh acknowledged the efforts of the players, he questioned whether those responsible for preparing and managing the teams would face similar scrutiny.
“Don’t worry… the World Cup doesn’t matter,” Sreejesh said sarcastically, taking aim at what he believes is a tendency to quickly move on from disappointing results.
“The Asian Games are coming. Win a medal there, and then we can start dreaming about LA 2028. Apparently, that’s enough to cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup.”
For Sreejesh, the bigger concern is that the focus could soon shift towards the Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics without a proper examination of what went wrong at the World Cup.
Questions Raised Over Women's Team Preparation
Sreejesh reserved some of his strongest criticism for the preparation of the women’s team. While praising the players for fighting hard throughout the tournament, he questioned the circumstances surrounding the team's preparation before the World Cup.
“Women’s chief coach on holiday just before the World Cup — and the girls still fought their hearts out and exceeded expectations. Credit to the players. But where is the accountability? Do we really expect a team to perform at its best when the chief coach is away during the final phase of preparation?” he said.
The women’s team ultimately missed out on a place in the semi-finals after their goalless draw against Australia. However, Sreejesh made it clear that his criticism was not directed at the players, whom he felt had fought hard despite the circumstances.
Instead, he raised a broader question about responsibility within the system. If players and teams are judged on their performances, should the same standards not apply to coaches and those involved in the planning and preparation?
