New Delhi – PR Sreejesh, a two-time Olympic medallist, voiced his disappointment on Wednesday following his dismissal as the head coach of the India U-21 hockey team. He claimed that Hockey India intends to appoint a foreign coach, despite the team’s positive performance during his tenure.
Event Context
“It appears my coaching journey has come to a close after 1.5 years, during which we participated in five tournaments and achieved podium finishes in all of them, including a bronze medal at the Junior World Cup,” he tweeted.
Sreejesh, who earned Olympic bronze medals in Tokyo (2020) and Paris (2024) before retiring from international hockey, expressed concern over Hockey India’s tendency to favor foreign coaches.
During his time with the under-21 squad, India reached the Sultan of Johor Cup final, secured bronze at the Junior World Cup held domestically, and won gold at the Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat.
Player Focus
The former India goalkeeper expressed his concerns on ‘X’, the social media platform, regarding a recent decision by the sport’s governing body. “I have witnessed coaches being dismissed after poor performances, but this is the first time I have been let go to make room for a foreign coach.”
Team Analysis
The President of Hockey India has expressed that the chief coach of the senior men’s team advocates for hiring a foreign head coach for the junior team, citing this approach as beneficial for nurturing Indian hockey from the grassroots level to senior ranks. This raises the question: Can’t Indian coaches effectively develop the sport? Former player Sreejesh, whose contract expired in December of the previous year and who has reapplied for the role, highlighted this concern. In a meeting on March 7, 2026, with Hon’ble Sports Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Sreejesh was encouraged, saying, ‘We need coaches like you to step up and lead our country as we prepare for 2036.’ Despite this, Hockey India continues to prefer foreign coaches across all four teams.
