Junior hockey World Cup: ‘Selfish’ PR Sreejesh

PR Sreejesh needs no introduction. Having been nominated for the "FIH goalkeeper of the year award" for his outstanding show in the year 2016, the 28-year-old has been looking for serving senior team for many years to come.

The ever-smiling Sreejesh has been out of international scene for some time due to injury and had to miss the recent series in Australia. However, he need not worry about his position in the squad, he has been by far the amongst the best in India.

But then he was not ready to sit back quietly and work on regaining his fitness in the most orthodox method. He chose a unique way of rehabilitation — "Train with the junior team (Under-21)" — and at the same time, pass on his experience to his understudies — Vikas Dahiya and Krishan Bahadur Pathak.

This is his unique way to try and regain his fitness. He conveyed his thoughts to India's part-time goalkeeping coach, South African Dave Staniforth, who was here before the Junior World Cup to train Dahiya and Pathak. And, who would have any reason to ignore advise of one of the best?

Sreejesh was welcomed in Bangalore to train and help juniors. That's how a new journey started for him towards becoming a potential coach.

With Staniforth gone back after his three-week stint with juniors, Sreejesh started his new innings by default. "I'm certainly not here to coach. I'm here to pass on my experience to my junior fellows," Sreejesh was quick to correct when asked about his new assignment.

And he is right in a way. The Junior World Cup is hardly the time to change anything in a players' style or technique.

"My whole emphasis is on preparing these two goalkeepers psychologically for tough times during any given match here. And that's exactly what I'm doing here as a senior," Sreejesh told dna after team's practice session.

The results are there for everyone to see. In a tight last Pool D game against South Africa, Dahiya was instrumental in maintaining Indian colts winning margin with a last minute penalty corner save to win 2-1. Dahiya also effected two certain saves against Proteas' forwards on Monday on the either sides of the half.

Sreejesh, being Team India captain, understands how important it is for any senior to make life easier for his juniors by sharing knowledge on holding nerves at crucial times. And that's not the only contribution he has been making.

And it is not just goalkeepers who are benefitting from Sreejesh's presence. He has also been passing on his vast experience of saving penalty corners to junior drag flickers — Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar.

"I do talk to them on trying different variations. The most important thing for any drag flicker is to try and beat opponent goalkeeper in mind games. There are so many times when more than power, a drag flicker needs to understand the mind of a goalkeeper.

"We (goalkeepers) play mind games so many times to psyche out the opponents. I do talk to our drag flickers as and when required regarding this. The technique cannot be altered in the middle of a tournament, you can only polish skills," Sreejesh added.

During India's training sessions here, Sreejesh could be seen completely involved in every aspect of goalkeeping. From paying individual attention to the 'keeper's skills and movement, observing drag flickers by standing behind the goal or sometimes even challenging them one-on-one, Sreejesh has been doing it all.

Sreejesh has learnt this skill of sharing knowledge from his "brother-like" senior goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza. The former India goalkeeper has once done the similar thing when Sreejesh was coming up the ladder.

"I'm not teaching anyone. Rather, I've been learning new things to improve my own game from these young guns," said Sreejesh pointing towards the juniors practicing there.

"I am doing it for selfish reasons."