Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh on Monday mentioned the Indian males’s hockey facet’s foremost focus is qualifying for the Paris Olympics by profitable the Asian Games this 12 months in addition to giving alternatives to children.
He mentioned that a whole lot of children will probably be given alternatives in a busy 12 months for the staff wherein it should compete in marquee occasions just like the Commonwealth Games and Asiad.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medal-winning facet will start the 12 months with the FIH Hockey Pro League, beginning subsequent month.
“After every Olympics we plan for the next four years. So after Tokyo we have already started planning for the Paris Olympics,” Sreejesh mentioned throughout a digital media interplay.
“There are a lot of changes that are going to happen in the team (for Paris), a lot of newcomers are going to be added into the core group,” he added.
Sreejesh is part of the International Institute of Sports Management’s initiative wherein 18 of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics medalist have come collectively to recite the nationwide anthem in a video, which was launched on Monday.
Asked if it’s the proper time to groom children with the Paris Olympics solely two years away, Sreejesh mentioned with a number of fixtures line up, it will likely be good to provide the junior gamers an opportunity.
“I did not say we’ll get a whole lot of the kids straight into the staff however their addition within the core group will give them extra alternative. We are beginning this 12 months with the Pro League earlier than Asian Games and CWG.”
“We will get virtually 16 matches and likely the Asian Cup will probably be there and that’s the platform the place we are able to check out the kids, give them alternatives to play tournaments.
“At some level it’s a must to give juniors an opportunity. This 12 months will probably be good as they’ll be taught so much from senior most gamers,” Sreejesh added.
The 33-year-old mentioned the staff’s high precedence will probably be to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“The first target for us is to qualify for Paris, so the Asian Games is the biggest hurdle and after that the World Cup is the second important tournament. The training and the way we are playing now is going great, we have implemented new strategies.” India is ready to host the FIH males’s World Cup in January subsequent 12 months.
“It’s too early to say about World Cup as focus is Asian Games right now. But we are focussing on finishing in the top 4 in Bhubaneswar.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
