Legendary goalkeeper and two-time Olympic bronze medallist PR Sreejesh expressed his frustration with India's poor performance in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, noting that "accountability" is necessary and that the international competition cannot be viewed as a "dress rehearsal."
The Indian men's team's slim chances of making it to the semifinals were denied by the Argentina team on Monday as they lost 3-5 in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
On the other hand, after being held to a goalless draw by Australia on Saturday, the women's team were also eliminated from semifinal contention.
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Sreejesh, who was a crucial member of the bronze medal-winning teams at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 and Paris in 2024, stated that someone should pose the "difficult" and "uncomfortable" issues on the mediocre achievements.
"...Here's the uncomfortable question: Are we building a team to PLAY good hockey, or a team capable of WINNING against the best in the world?" Sreejesh, who is India's most successful hockey goalkeeper, wrote on X on Monday.
"Stop hiding behind 'learning', 'good hockey' and future tournaments. The World Cup is not a rehearsal. It is the World Cup. So who is going to ask the difficult questions? Who is going to demand accountability? And most importantly...Does anyone actually care?" he asked.
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…
The Indian men's team entered the World Cup on the back of an unimpressive Pro League campaign, finishing eighth among nine teams. However, there were renewed hopes of a better showing after the coaches and players offered positive feedback on their preparations.
He said the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya next month, where India are expected to challenge for a medal, should not be an excuse for taking the World Cup lightly.
"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 (Olympics). Apparently, that's enough to cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup," Sreejesh said.
He also took a dig at women's chief coach Sjoerd Marijne for reportedly leaving the World Cup camp just as the tournament was about to begin, while saying that the players still fought hard and exceeded expectations.
"Women's chief coach on holiday just before the World Cup — and the girls still fought their hearts out and exceeded expectations. Credit to the players. But where is the accountability? Do we really expect a team to perform at its best when the chief coach is away during the final phase of preparation?" he pondered.
The 38-year-old then questioned if such results were being given undue importance by pointing to India's triumph over Pakistan, which was considered as a major victory, and making fun of the frequently used "learning experience" mantra after the defeats.
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"Men's team loses to a top team -- 'It's a learning experience.' Beats an Asian team -- 'Great victory.' Plays good hockey -- 'Good performance.'"
Sreejesh also has coaching experience, having served as the head coach of the Indian men's U21 team and Delhi SG Pipers in the Hockey India League.
As head coach of the Indian men's U21 team, he guided India to a bronze medal at the 2025 FIH Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu.
(With PTI inputs.)
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