HYDERABAD — Legendary former Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has launched a scathing attack on the state of Indian hockey, demanding strict accountability from the team's management following the men's national team's premature exit from the Hockey World Cup semi-final race.
The Indian men's hockey team saw its campaign unravel after a 3-5 defeat against Argentina in their crucial Stage 2 encounter. Out of their five matches in the tournament, India managed to win only twice—both victories coming against lower-ranked opponents, Wales and Pakistan—while dropping three critical fixtures against higher-ranked teams.
Taking to social media platform X, the veteran custodian refused to hold back, calling out the culture of settling for mediocre results and hiding behind repetitive excuses.
“Men's team loses to a top team → 'It's a learning experience.' Beats an Asian team → 'Great victory.' Plays good hockey → 'Good performance.' But 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? Stop hiding behind 'learning', 'good hockey' and future tournaments,” Sreejesh posted.
In a follow-up statement laden with sarcasm, Sreejesh questioned whether key stakeholders genuinely care about the national team's success at the world stage.
“Don't worry… the World Cup doesn't matter,” he wrote sarcastically. “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.”
He added: “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?”
While pointing out systemic flaws, Sreejesh also highlighted the stark contrast with the Indian women’s team, who produced a commendable performance despite administrative oversights. The women’s team suffered just one loss—against the Netherlands—and notched a historic 6-1 victory against South Africa, alongside hard-fought draws against powerhouse nations China, England, and Australia.
However, Sreejesh questioned the decision to grant the women's chief coach leave right before such a major event.
“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?” Sreejesh remarked.
The outspoken comments from one of India's most celebrated hockey figures have intensified scrutiny on the sports administration, raising serious questions about the preparation, mindset, and governance guiding the national team.
