'Asian Games are coming...': Sreejesh slams Indian hockey management
What's the story
Former goalkeeper and two-time Olympic bronze medallist PR Sreejesh has slammed the Indian hockey management for their poor performance in the World Cup. Both men's and women's teams failed to reach the semi-finals of their respective tournaments. The men's team was knocked out by Argentina with a 3-5 defeat at Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen, Netherlands on Monday.
Accountability concerns
Sreejesh questions absence of women's coach before World Cup
Taking to X after India's exit from the World Cup, Sreejesh questioned the approach and accountability within Indian hockey.
He said, "Don't worry... the World Cup doesn't matter. The Asian Games are coming. Win a medal there, and then we can start dreaming about LA 2028."
He also criticized the women's chief coach for being on holiday just before the World Cup and asked if we really expect a team to perform at its best when its coach is absent during final preparations.
Strategy critique
'Are we building a team to play good hockey?'
Sreejesh also questioned India's strategy in building a team capable of winning against the best in the world.
He said, "Men's team loses to a top team - 'It's a learning experience.' Beats an Asian team - 'Great victory.' Plays good hockey - 'Good performance.'"
He asked, "Are we building a team to PLAY good hockey, or a team capable of WINNING against the best in the world?"
Indifference inquiry
Does anyone actually care, asks Sreejesh
Sreejesh demanded accountability from those in charge of Indian hockey and asked, "So who is going to ask the difficult questions? Who is going to demand accountability? And most importantly... Does anyone actually care?"
His comments raised further questions over India's ability to consistently compete with top hockey nations across tournaments.
Twitter Post
Read his full statement
Don’t worry… the World Cup doesn’t matter. 🤡
— sreejesh p r (@16Sreejesh) August 24, 2026
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.
Women’s chief coach on holiday just before the World…
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How the Indian team fared in WC 2026
India's men and women both missed out on the Hockey World Cup 2026 semi-finals.
The men suffered a 3-5 defeat to Argentina in their final second-round match, despite goals from Sukhjeet Singh and Hardik Singh. They will now play for seventh place.
The women were held 0-0 by Australia, who advanced on goals scored, leaving India to contest the fifth-place classification match.