
Pro League was a wake-up call ahead of next year's Asian Games and World Cup: Sreejesh on Indian hockey team's struggles
India struggled in the European leg of the Pro League and finished eighth out of nine teams to avoid relegation by a whisker.
But Sreejesh, who was part of India's bronze medal-winning sides in Tokyo and Paris Olympics, felt that the players didn't perform too badly but, unfortunately, the results didn't favour the team.
'I think the players performed really well, we created lot of opportunities. We gave very good fight on the field but sometimes it happens, the result went against us,' Sreejesh said on the sidelines of the launch of Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Wednesday night.
'The preparation was perfect but unfortunately the result was not perfect for us but the coaches have enough time to prepare the team for the Asia Cup and definitely next year the Asian Games and World Cup is there. I think this Pro League gave us a very good wake-up call to prepare and to be on our toes to prepare for World Cup and Asian Games,' he added.
The Asian Games will be hosted by Aichi-Nagoya in Japan from September 19 to October 4, while the World Cup will be jointly organised by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
Post retirement after Paris Games, Sreejesh is now the coach of the Indian men's junior hockey team and is enjoying his new role.
'Same routine, when you wake up early in the morning it's about preparing the players, ensure they are doing their best and rest of the day prepare for the next session, analysing the players. The only thing is that I am stressing my mind more now. Earlier, I used to stress my physical part but now it's about my mental part. But I am enjoying,' he said.
India is set to host the FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 till December 10 this year, and Sreejesh is leaving no stone unturned to prepare his players.
'For them (players) the biggest challenge is Junior World Cup because four-nation tournaments and stuffs like that are not going to throw enough pressure on them as the Junior World Cup. My duty is to share my experience with them, how to prepare for a big tournament, big matches,' he said.
'I faced enough pressure being a player and now being a coach I think it is up to me to take that pressure from the players. I am helping them to be realistic. Being a coach, sharing experience as a player is more important.'
India is clubbed with Pakistan, Chile and Switzerland in Pool B at the Junior World Cup.
Even though uncertainty looms large over Pakistan's participation in the Junior World Cup owing to tensions between the two countries following Operation Sindoor, Sreejesh doesn't want to focus on one particular team.
'We are in the same pool (India and Pakistan) but I don't want my players to think about one particular team,' he said.
'Any tournament starts from the quarterfinals. The main moto is to gather as much points as you can to ensure your place in the quarterfinals and from there the main tournament starts.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Gautam Gambhir hugged Rishabh Pant for playing 27 balls with fracture; India keeper refused help: 'Main kar lunga'
The legend of Rishabh Pant today expanded beyond imagination. Not because of his batting. Well, he has already reached that status despite spending just 7 years in Test cricket, but because of the heart he put on display on Day 2 of the 4th Test between India and England at Manchester's Old Trafford stadium. Pant cracked his right toe when a yorker from Chris Woakes hit him flush on his foot. As Pant was driven out in an ambulance, you knew his participation in the remainder of the Test match was going to be dicey. Rishabh Pant and Gautam Gambhir have fun in Manchester(AFP) Team India's worst nightmare came true around 12 PM on Thursday when sources confirmed to the BCCI that Pant has indeed picked up a fracture and is asked to rest for between 6 and 8 weeks, pretty much ruling him out of the series. The chances of Pant playing any part in the Manchester Test were as good as Mohammed Siraj hitting Jofra Archer for 6 sixes in an over. Exactly. Zero. But when the BCCI sent out a post on X saying, Pant can bat depending on the team's requirements, the first thing that came to mind was 'You've got to be kidding me'. Well, turns out the board wasn't. Pant indeed walked out to bat at the fall of Shardul Thakur and India's sixth wicket to one of the loudest cheers ever by an English crowd ever reserved for an Indian batter. Limping out to bat, Pant practically batted on one leg, completing his fifty and ensuring India breached 350 to eventually finish on 358. Also Read: 'You've handed Rishabh Pant's runs back to England', Nasser blasts Shubman Gill after England openers run riot During his stay at the crease, Pant smashed a six off Jofra Archer and a four against Ben Stokes. England, sensing blood, went for the jugular, darting more yorkers at Pant's injured toe, which the batter saw off carefully. In the end, a peach from Archer uprooted Pant's off-stump, sending it cartwheeling. Pant's innings was over, but his stature as a never-give-up cricketer had grown by leaps and bounds. Pant refuses teammates' help As Pant made his way back to the Old Trafford dressing room, a couple of his teammates, Akash Deep and Kuldeep Yadav, had sprinted near the boundary to help him. However, as they tried to assist Pant in climbing the change room stairs, Pant said a defiant 'No'. "Main kar lunga," (I'll do it myself), he could be heard saying. Pant gingerly, but more importantly, climbed the stairs all by himself. It took him time, but the moment he approached the dressing room, there they were, head coach Gautam Gambhir and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, offering Pant a big, warm hug. Pant had played 27 balls with a fractured foot. Cricket has seen several heroic knocks. Who can forget Graeme Smith walking out with a fractured arm, or Brett Lee bleeding after suffering a cut on his head against India during the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal? And hey, is there a better courageous effort ever seen in world cricket than Anil Kumble bowling with a broken jaw, sending down 14 consecutive overs and picking up the wicket of West Indies legend Brian Lara. Irrespective of the outcome of this match – Manchester Test at Old Trafford has, in all likelihood, cemented Pant as a bonafide legend.


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Nikhat, Lovlina to spearhead Indian challenge at World Championships
New Delhi: Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain will highlight India's 20-member squad for this year's senior boxing World Championships set to take place in Liverpool from September 4-14. The Worlds will feature all seven Olympic weight categories in men's and women's divisions along with three additional weights -- making it ten weight classes each for men and women -- as over 500 boxers from 60 nations are expected to vie for the world title. India's Zareen Nikhat will highlight India's 20-member squad for this year's senior boxing World Championships set to take place in Liverpool from September 4. (AFP) The squad was finalised on Thursday following week-long assessment at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala during which the boxers were tested for their skills, endurance, discipline, and resilience. 'The assessments were held in round-robin format with each boxer competing against 3-4 opponents. The process was quite exhaustive,' boxing interim committee chief Ajay Singh said on the sidelines of the felicitation organised for the 17 World Cup medallists from Brazil and Kazakhstan legs. Each gold medallist received a cash reward of ₹2 lakh, silver medallists ₹1 lakh, and bronze winners ₹50,000. BFI's interim committee has chosen to stick with the much-debated evaluation system from the previous Olympic cycle, meaning there were no trials for the team selection. The toppers in each weight division got an automatic berth for the Worlds. 'The boxers were primarily tested for their strength, conditioning, and endurance. Maximum points were reserved for sparring. There are also points for attendance, discipline, and weight management,' a member of interim committee informed. Nikhat had forfeited her final against Jyoti Gulia at the Elite Women's Boxing Tournament in Hyderabad earlier this month due to a cut above her nose but came back strongly in the assessment. Besides Nikhat and Lovlina, the bulk of the squad features medallists from the World Cup in Astana with Meenakshi Hooda (48kg), Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sanju Khatri (60kg), Pooja Rani (80kg), and Nupur Sheoran (80+ kg) all topping the assessments in their respective brackets and making the cut. The men's team wears a new look with the likes of double World Cup medallists Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) qualifying. The lightweight division has been short of experience post Paris with both Amit Panghal and Deepak Bhoria out of the national camp. In their absence, the 20-year-old reigning national champion and Brazil World Cup bronze medallist, Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, topped the 50kg assessment and punched his ticket to Liverpool. Among heavier weights, Jugnoo Ahlawat topped the 85kg class while the experienced Narender Berwal aced the 90+ division. 'I have improved technically after the twin World Cup experience. I will try to be aggressive from the first round itself as judges always prefer dominant boxers. I hope to make an impression on my World Championships debut,' said Hitesh. Teams: Women's: Meenakshi Hooda (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sanju Khatri (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (60kg), Sanamacha Chanu (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Pooja Rani (80kg), Nupur Sheoran (80+ kg) Men's: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin Siwach jr (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh Gulia (70kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo Ahlawat (85kg), Harsh Chaudhary (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+ kg). India-China to build boxing ties In a first-of-its-kind development, Indian boxers will train with their Chinese counterparts as the two nations seek to build boxing ties. A total of 42 junior girls and boys along with national coaches and physios will travel to China for 15 days next month in a move that the interim committee believes will upgrade the standards of Indian pugilists. 'We stand to gain a lot with this alliance. China are generally not open to foreigners training and sparring with them but they are impressed with the talent of our youngsters. We have been in talks for a few months and it has finally come to fruition,' a committee member said. Meanwhile, interim committee chief Singh assured the BFI elections will take place by the end of next month in accordance with World Boxing diktat. BFI elections were due in February-end but were delayed after a series of litigation. "The world body wants us to conduct elections by August 31, so we will tentatively hold the elections by Aug 27-28. We will start the process 21 days before that date, which means in the first week of August," he said.


News18
an hour ago
- News18
Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen return to Indian squad for World Championships
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Star boxers Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain were on Thursday named in India's squad for the World Championships set to take place in Liverpool in September. The 20-member squad was finalised after the boxers went through a week-long assessment at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. The tournament, to be held from September 4 to 14, will be the first World Championships held under the aegis of the new governing body of the sport, World Boxing. It will feature competitions in 10 weight classes for men and women. It will also be for the first time ever that male and female boxers would compete in an Olympics-style boxing at the same event for the title of World Boxing Champion. Both Zareen and Borgohain had missed the women's nationals in March. While the two-time world champion Zareen was injured at the time, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Borgohain had missed the event as the Assam state unit refused to send her due to infighting in the federation. The duo had competed at the Elite Women's Boxing Tournament in Hyderabad earlier this month to return to the national camp, but they had also missed the recent World Cup in Astana. The men's squad includes Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal (90+ kg), two-time World Cup winners Hitesh Gulia (70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) among others. Squads Women's: Meenakshi Hooda (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sanju Khatri (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (60kg), Sanamacha Chanu (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Pooja Rani (80kg), Nupur Sheoran (80+ kg). Men's: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin Siwach jr (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh Gulia (70kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo Ahlawat (85kg), Harsh Chaudhary (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+ kg). PTI APA DDV view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 00:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.