The former goalie for Indian hockey, R Sreejesh, has his sights set on a new objective: he wants to coach Indian hockey, just like cricket great Rahul Dravid did.
Sreejesh wants to develop the next wave of hockey talent and possibly lead India as the head coach at the 2036 Olympics by following a well-defined plan.
Sreejesh is now aiming to make the switch from player to mentor after being a key component of India’s bronze medal wins at the Tokyo and the most recent Olympics in Paris. Sreejesh envisions himself following in Dravid’s footsteps as he progresses from developing young cricket potential to captaining the senior Indian cricket team in hockey. The former custodian has a well-structured and ambitious plan.
“I’d like to work as a coach. I always had it as my plan, but the question now is when. Family comes first after retirement. I must ask them if this is okay before proceeding. According to Hindustan Times, Sreejesh stated, “You have to listen to your wife a little bit now.”
PR Sreejesh: I’d like to coach India.
This strategy fits with Sreejesh’s goal of building a strong Indian hockey feeder system that will provide the national team with a steady stream of elite players. Sreejesh wants to assemble a strong team that can contend at the top level for many years by developing young players and mentoring them through the ranks.
“Rahul Dravid is an example of how I wanted to start with the kids. He said, “It’s like you develop a group of players, get them into the senior team, and then let them follow you.”
The 36-year-old intends to start coaching in 2025 at the youth division. Building 20–40 young players by 2028 is his next goal. In the ensuing years, more players will move up from the junior to the senior levels. By 2032, he hopes to have established himself as head coach.
“It starts this year, followed by the youth World Cup in 2025, and the senior team’s World Cup participation in two more years. It is possible that by 2028, I will be able to generate 20 or 40 players. By 2029, I will have 15-20 players on the senior team, and by 2030, I should have about 30-35 players on the senior side.
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And in 2032, I’ll be prepared to take over as head coach. Sreejesh concluded, “I want to be the India coach if we get to host the Olympic Games in 2036.
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