PR Sreejesh at Idea Exchange: ‘A goalpost never talks back, it just listens… I’ve been guarding it for 24 years, it’s a great bond’

Goalkeeping is like a different game you are playing on the hockey field. The outfield players don’t have time to think or reflect; they just play, forgetting their mistakes. But goalkeeping is different because you have time to overthink about your mistakes or saves. Both are not good. It became a relationship because the best part is that a goalpost never talks back; it just listens. It’s a place to vent frustrations. Talking to the goalpost helps control my emotions, forming a routine, and a friendly relationship. After guarding that post for 24 years, it’s a great bond between the goalkeeper and the goalpost.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Before your last match, the bronze medal playoff against Spain at the Olympics, you spent time sitting on the backboard in the goal in an empty stadium. What were those moments like for you?

It was emotional. I started hockey in 2000 as a little kid in a sports school, not on a big stage. Playing for 24 years and knowing it was my last match as an international player, I wanted to let those emotions go. In an hour, I was going to get ready, warm up. I didn’t want the emotions to hold me back once the match started. As I sat there, memories of my journey flashed in my mind. I reminded myself that my playing career was over, and I needed to focus on my business. It’s my laptop wallpaper now, a reminder that ‘Sree, your career as a player is over’.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Was there regret that you were playing a bronze medal match and not the gold?

That’s for sure, this time the entire team felt we deserved to be in the finals. But it’s not about who deserves it; it’s about who wins. Some days, you play well but lose. Germany converted opportunities and we didn’t.

Olympic medalist and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Does goalkeeping feel like a lonely pursuit?

Not just hockey, in any game, you see, people celebrate scoring. But as a goalkeeper, I can make 10 saves but don’t get to celebrate, because if I concede a goal, people may say I over-celebrated. So, I hold my emotions. Whenever I save a goal, I just wait for the next challenge. What happens with the forwards and drag flickers? In 10 penalty corners, we may score three goals. But they get to celebrate those three moments. What happens when I save 10 balls and then one goal is conceded? Look at the reactions. That’s why we say it’s a thankless job. The ones you concede are what everyone remembers.

On Language differences | In team sports, communication and relationships are crucial. But goalkeeping is different. Whether you speak Tamil or Hindi, it doesn’t matter; you hit, I save, I’m on the team. My skills kept me there

Nihal Koshie: Could you talk about the love story with your childhood sweetheart Aneeshya and her support for you?

When I left home at 12 to join GV Raja Sports School, I got homesick, so my best friends were teachers. Coaches used to be harsh, but teachers pampered us. I was a decent student, always in the top three, so it was easy to be a teacher’s pet. Then Aneeshya joined the school in 9th grade. She was a good athlete but was a buddhijeevi as we say in Malayalam, a bookworm. When I got 38-40 marks, it was top of the class, but she came and scored 49, 50. Teachers began telling me to study like her (laughs).

We didn’t get along at first. That’s how love stories start, right? In 10th grade, I got selected for the national under-16 camp and began missing classes. So as it usually happens, I relied on the best student for notes. That’s how we started talking. Study sessions brought us closer, and we became best friends. She then left the school, returned to her hometown, and we exchanged letters for two years. For my 16th birthday, she wrote me 16 letters (smiles). Whenever I needed her, she was there. She was there to take care of my parents, our two kids, for everything. I think where I am today is because of all their sacrifices.

Nihal Koshie: After nearly quitting the sport, you finish with two Olympic medals.

After my marriage in 2013, I told my wife I would quit in 2016. That was the first promise. Then I said, after 2016, I’ll stay four more years and quit in 2020. The Corona pandemic happened, so this plan got postponed. Instead of 2020, the Olympics happened in 2021. So I thought, okay, I’ll play in 2021 and then quit. Then came in the laalach of a sportsperson, the greedy mind (smiles). In 2022, we had the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. After playing in Tokyo 2021, I was at the peak of my career, with people praising me. So, in that flow, I could have played those tournaments. I decided to retire in 2022. But then, due to Covid, the Asian Games were also postponed by one more year to 2023. Again, the greedy mind took over. I played the 2022 Commonwealth Games and won a silver medal. Then I thought, one more year for the Asian Games, I can play that. We won a gold medal. Then I told myself, just nine more months before the next Olympics. So that’s how it happened. It wasn’t planned. Things fell into place, and I just went through with that flow.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan of The Indian Express in conversation with former India hockey captain, Olympic medalist and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh (right). (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Did the same thought occur to you in Paris?

See, in my life, I’ve never seen a hockey player take a grand retirement. That idea struck me. Why does everyone have to retire after getting a call from the association saying they are no longer with the team? I felt like I played this game for 24 years at the top level with people recognising me, youngsters following me, and European players acknowledging and respecting me. I wanted to set an example for my team, when you are at the top of your game, you need to say goodbye from there. Before the Olympics, I spoke with my coach. Everyone said I could announce my retirement after the Olympics, but I said no. I wanted to announce it beforehand to avoid emotional distress during the tournament. Otherwise, I’d be counting down matches. I decided to announce it early so I could play all the matches with a fresh mind, treating each one as its own. Like that line in the Milkha Singh movie when he is told it could be his last race and he says, ‘Daudunga bhi waise hi’.

Tushar Bhaduri: When you joined the Indian side, most players were from north India. Was it hard to deal with cultural and language differences, food habits?

There are two parts to it. Language is an issue, food is an issue, culture is an issue. You don’t have friends. Those are the negatives. But as a player, I focused on the positives. I am getting a place to sleep, food, and training. Coming from Kerala to get training on AstroTurf was a bonus. And thankfully, as a goalkeeper, I didn’t really need to talk to anyone (smiles). I felt I didn’t need relationships to be part of the team. In team sports, communication and relationships are crucial. But goalkeeping is different. Whether you speak Tamil or Hindi, it doesn’t matter; you hit, I save and then I’m there on the team. That was a plus for me as a South Indian, a non-Hindi speaker. My skills kept me in the team. Some players lose chances on the national team due to language or cultural barriers. So for my long career, a reason was my position as a goalkeeper.

On goalkeeping | I can make 10 saves but don’t get to celebrate… I hold my emotions. Whenever I save a goal, I just wait for the next challenge… it’s a thankless job. The ones you concede are what everyone remembers

Tushar Bhaduri: Do hockey goalkeepers need a special personality to succeed?

You need to save the balls to stay in the game, you need courage to stop those balls. For example, in cricket, if a bouncer comes, a batsman has the chance to duck. But in hockey, if the ball is coming towards my helmet, I can’t flinch. You have to have that level of craziness. Otherwise, you can’t face a 150 kph or 160 kph ball, to stop it with your body, stick, pads or helmet.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Have you decided on your coaching philosophy? After having worried about clean sheets all through your career, will it be an all-out attack?

No, my policy is 1-0, I’m happy with that. But keeping the zero is crucial. You can score 10 goals, but if you can’t maintain that zero, it’s an issue. We Indians are skilled at attacking hockey. However, in modern hockey, defence is crucial. Craig (Fulton) often says defence wins championships. We won a final 5-3, but I wasn’t happy. At 5-0, I’d be happy, but at 5-3, there’s a concern. Conceding a goal suggests we are lacking somewhere.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Do you remember when you decided to be a coach or mentor?

My thought process was clear way before. When I joined GV Raja Sports School, I knew after playing hockey, I wanted to pursue further studies to become a professor and coach. Coaching has always been a passion, but I wasn’t clear when to start. I have been in the system for a long time, I’ve seen many coaches come and go. In India, there aren’t many local coaches. The senior teams have foreign coaches and trainers. So, who takes care of our culture and people? Someone needs to step up. When Hockey India approached me, I thought, “This is the time”. I need to give something back to hockey since I’ve made my living from this sport.

I decided to give it a try. If I’m good, that’s great. If not, at least I tried. I might not be an excellent coach, but I’m trying. Otherwise, I’m learning and I will go back to my hometown and work at the grassroots level. I’m happy to even train school, village or district teams. I just want to teach kids, and not just kids at the top level. Teaching is my passion. So I’ve got this opportunity, and I’m using it. I always tell my peers that they should train kids. We have enough knowledge about this game, and we need to pass it on to younger generations.

On Hockey India League | India’s domestic hockey level is not great, that’s where HIL could take us to a different level. It’s a platform where you get the opportunity to play alongside the best in the country or internationally

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: When you decided to take up the junior team head coach position, what were the conversations with your family like? To be back at it so soon after retirement.

They sacrificed everything for me. If I said I was going back, it would be quite hard. So I asked, “Are you willing to move with me to Bangalore?” For players, it is hard to move. But as a coach, I’ll get quarters where we can accommodate the family, and the kids can go to school. Then my parents said yes. My wife agreed, and I even asked my kids if they wanted to leave school or study here. They said they were okay with going to Bangalore. So when they said yes, I agreed. It was a big decision for us.

Anil Sasi: The pace at which hockey is played has increased with the introduction of AstroTurf and rolling substitutions, making it faster. However, the number of field goals has decreased. How do you see that?

Technology helps us prevent field goals. We have video analysis software to analyse each player. For example, say that the Indian hockey team attacks 25 times from the right side, 10 from the left side, and 5 from the centre. The opposition then knows our strong side, blocking our right side. That’s what happens individually as well. With video analysis, they do individual coding to identify strengths and weaknesses. But we now score more goals through penalty corners. We find loopholes or gaps where we can score in areas of weakness. Coaches are now interested in a mix of European defensive styles and counter-attacks that we are known for.

Olympic medalist and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Anil Sasi: Historically, countries like Spain, Belgium and Argentina were not known for hockey. What can we learn from their rise in the last decade?

Their club system matches junior or senior international levels, so young players in club tournaments are equivalent to international players. Our domestic-level hockey isn’t up to that standard. That’s the drawback. We keep Indian players in camps for 250-300 days a year. If we send kids to domestic hockey, their performance goes down.

Another factor in India before was removing underperforming players from the team. However, what Australia and Belgium have done recently is maintain a group of around 40 to 50 players for at least 15 years, strengthening the bond among them. They understand each other well. In 2021, the average games for the Belgium players were around 230 or 240. This has helped them become a powerhouse hockey team in this era. We don’t have that level of a club system in India. In that sense, the Hockey India League could take us to a different level. Teams are going to play around 14 to 16 matches at the top level. It’s a platform where you get the opportunity to play alongside the best in the country or internationally, or against them. You are learning and adapting to the pressure from the audience. Our players will understand the pressure involved. HIL will be a nursery for the youngsters. In another five or six years, our young players will mature enough to play at the international level.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Recently, some top international stars have withdrawn over concerns surrounding the organisation of HIL, like salary and window etc. Is that a concern?

It’s the Hockey India League, it’s not the World Hockey League. This league is for Indians. If you look at the price chart, we are paying good money to Indian players rather than focusing on foreigners. Some have stated that the money isn’t up to their standards, which is fine. They deserve that much. But we are giving importance to Indian youngsters. We are giving them a chance to play alongside international players. It’s not a concern for me because the game will evolve. The next edition could be in a different format, like home and away matches, travelling to different cities and cultures. People will be more attracted to it.

Right now, they may think there’s not enough money, but in the future, if we increase the purse, players will feel tempted to join back. I believe what we offer the world of hockey in a short span, no one else can match. In the European League, you might not get accommodation or proper facilities. Here, we provide all comforts. We are pampering the hockey players, offering luxury, and taking care of them properly.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan of The Indian Express in conversation with former India hockey captain, Olympic medalist and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh (right). (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Before Paris, the team worked with Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach. Do you remember when discussing mental health was discouraged, and has that changed?

Initially, everything was hidden, even injuries. You wouldn’t go to a physio, fearing insecurity. Missing one tournament seemed like the end. Kids are opening up and technology is improving. Expert support definitely aids improvement, and now everyone is opening up if they have issues.