Hockey: Change of guard: Sreejesh given captaincy
During his eight-month rehabilitation period, he had mentored the junior goalkeepers and also worked with the Junior World Cup team.
New Delhi: Goalkeeper Sreejesh P.R. was on Friday handed back the India captain’s armband, replacing midfielder Manpreet Singh as Hockey India seeks to find answers to the team’s poor outing at the Commonwealth Games.
India clearly lacked direction and cracked under pressure at Gold Coast, with Manpreet too feeling the heat in crunch situations. Sreejesh will lead the team at the upcoming Champions Trophy, the Asian Games in August and the World Cup at home later this year.
Along with the 29-year-old Sreejesh, woman striker Rani Rampal too has been named skipper till December 2018. Under the current set-up, coach Sjoerd Marijne — who himself is under pressure after the team’s erratic show at Gold Coast — prefers to communicate with the leaders’ group, which consists of Sreejesh, S.V. Sunil, Manpreet, Rupinderpal and Harmanpreet Singh.
The model, adapted by several teams around the world, is considered a systematic method of filtering instructions from the top, taking them to the core group and finally executing them. A leader’s role thus becomes crucial as he becomes the voice of the think-tank and a go-to-man for the players.
Said a member of the think-tank, “He (Sreejesh) is a natural leader. Along with enjoying the players’ respect, he has been a top performer and thus a good choice for the captain. “After Gold Coast, we do not want any further slip-ups and need someone who can channelise the players. There are many youngsters in the team and he is the best choice.”
Sreejesh had led admirably at the 2016 Rio Olympics till he was sidelined with a serious knee injury last year. During his eight-month rehabilitation period, he had mentored the junior goalkeepers and also worked with the Junior World Cup team. On the day, the national campers also gathered at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru to prepare for the Champions Trophy in June. Focus will be on the likes of Sardar Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who had missed out on the Commonwealth Games while the youngsters too will have to up their game if they are to hold on to their places.