India secured a dramatic victory in the shootout against Belgium and qualified to the men’s Junior Hockey World Cup semi-finals, but for coach PR Sreejesh this is not a celebratory moment. Despite the thrill of the win in the quarter-final, his immediate reaction was a huddle as he was seen with the players on the big screen delivering a clear message to his wards.
“This was not the final. Keep your feet on the ground,” said the legendary goalkeeper, now a coach.
His focus is on the two critical areas that could cost them the semi-final against Germany, first scoring efficiency and second defensive solidity.
The coach was also a bit bothered about the finishing touches in the attacking zone. While India won the game, they missed many opportunities, they created many opportunities, and also they struggled putting the ball in the net.
“We dominated, controlled the game, attacked well, and created several opportunities. We must convert them, that’s really important,” the coach stressed.
He also highlighted that against a top team like Germany in the upcoming stage, the opportunities will be minimal unlike what we saw in the group stage. The players should be focusing on reducing the mistakes in their own circle and ensuring that their defensive game is to lead and not to lose the possession.
“You cannot give away possession after entering the attacking third. Against tougher opponents, the number of chances reduces. When you get two-three opportunities, you must convert at least 50% of them. That was one key area,” said the two-time Olympic medalist.
“The second is defence. With solid defence you score and win. Belgium came four-five times and we conceded two goals that shouldn’t happen,” he added while underlining where defence can improve.
Sreejesh emphasises that good defence is one of the mantras of winning, reflecting on that he said: “When your defence is good, you will be able to score. And we can win it.”
Sreejesh sees the pressure as a necessary test for his players which is not related just for this men’s Junior Hockey World Cup but also for the future of Indian hockey.
“When there’s pressure and the players lack experience, mistakes will happen. Still, they need to raise their standards. They aren’t just Junior World Cup players, they will represent the Indian team in the future . They’ll play in the Olympics, World Cup, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games.”
He also acknowledged that handling pressure starts from these stages and they will learn. “These are baby steps. If they learn now, the future becomes easier,” he said.
The junior team now takes on a tough German side in the semi-final and the challenge will be big. “On match day, the focus will be on preparing ourselves whether it mentally or tactically,” he concluded.
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