Sreejesh urges India men’s hockey team to stay calm, trust training ahead of World Cup

Former India captain PR Sreejesh has urged the men’s hockey team to stay calm, trust their training and focus on their roles at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium. He backed India to target a top-four finish at the tournament

Hyderabad: Former India captain PR Sreejesh advised the Indian men’s hockey team to stay cal, focus on the role and trust the training process.

Sreejesh, speaking to JioStar ahead of the FIH World Cup hockey in Belgium from August 14, said that the FIH Hockey World Cup would the second biggest tournament in hockey after the Olympics and naturally, the whole world would be watching, and all eyes would be on the players.

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“That brings a lot of pressure. But you cannot let that pressure affect your game. When you start thinking too much about it, your performance drops. And when your performance drops, the pressure increases even more. So the key is to stay calm, focus on your role, and trust your training. Most importantly, you are playing in the World Cup. This is what you have worked for. Just enjoy the moment and give your best on the pitch,” Sjreejesh said.

On the performance expectations from the Indian men’s team, Sreejesh said: “In my opinion, the way this team is set up and the progress we have made, a top four finish is the minimum we should aim for. Looking at the pool we have been drawn in, we have the quality and the depth to achieve that. Anything beyond that, silver, gold, or bronze, would be a bonus.”

“The team is playing with confidence, and we have the experience to handle big games. We should not settle for less. The target is clear, we are here to compete and make our mark,” he said.