Kolkata: Good news awaits the Indian men’s hockey team as shot-stopper P.R. Sreejesh who had been out of the Indian team for over four months after suffering a ligament injury during a match against Australia in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, is set to return to the field and join his teammates at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru.
According to the 29-year-old, the presence of his teammates motivated him to recovery quickly from the injury and get back to the field to represent the country once again.
He said, “It feels good to be back at the National Camp and starting some light training with my teammates. When you are with your team, you get the right motivation to work hard every day and get back to the field quickly as you want to contribute to the team.”
Sreejesh, the Indian captain, who had earlier led the team to a silver medal in the Champions trophy last year has been an important figure for the national team, playing a major role in the country’s success in recent years.
Having served India for over a decade, he has seen many ups and downs in his career and feels that it is essential to share his experiences with the younger ones as it will not only benefit them but also help him in improving his own skills further.
“I think it’s important for me to share my experiences with the younger players and give them feedback on their performances. That also helps me in improving my game as I can also learn from them. When I come back on the field, I will know where I need to make improvements,” said Sreejesh who has been helping young goalkeepers like Akash Chikte Suraj Karkera in their preparations for the upcoming Hero Asia Cup.
Giving valuable advice to the young goalkeepers in the national camp at Bengaluru he said, “When you are in the team, you need to take the responsibility and not worry about how you are going to perform as an individual. When you are playing in the team, you need to give your 100% and focus on team-play so that the team can perform well as a unit.”
The 29-year -old from Kerala who has been out of action after sustaining a ligament injury while putting in a dive in the match against Australia will remain at the SAI centre and continue his rehabilitation process.
Expressing his full confidence on the newly appointed Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne, the 2014 Asian Games gold medalists opionated that he firmly believes that the Indian team will benefit under the new coach. “With a new coach in place now, this team will take a new direction.
He further continued, “While moving up the ranks and maintaining consistency remains constant, I am sure along with me, all the players in the camp are looking forward to continue the hard work and aim for better results with Chief Coach Marijne.”