PR Sreejesh Rejects Hockey India Role? Dilip Tirkey Makes Big Claim To NDTV
NDTV reached out to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey who rejected suggestions that PR Sreejesh was sidelined unfairly.
For over two decades, P. R. Sreejesh stood as the last line of defence for Indian hockey, but on Wednesday he set cat among pigeons by exposing that he was unfairly treated by Hockey India and his role as India's junior coach was terminated to make way for a foreign coach. NDTV reached out to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey who rejected suggestions that Sreejesh was sidelined unfairly. Instead, Tirkey claimed the federation had made repeated attempts to integrate the former goalkeeper into the national setup after his successful stint with the junior men's team.
"I personally spoke to PR Sreejesh and offered him the role of coaching the India-A team (or developmental team). I also asked him to become a specialist goalkeeping coach. But he did not agree," Tirkey told in an Exclusive interview to NDTV.
Earlier on Wednesday evening PR Sreejesh publicly announced that his tenure with the Indian junior men's hockey team had ended - and not on his terms.
"It seems like my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played five tournaments and secured five podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal," the Olympic medallist wrote on X.
He added, "I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances. But this is the first time I am experiencing being removed to make way for a foreign coach."
That reignited the debate on Indian vs foreign coach that has long been a part of Indian coaching eco-system. Sreejesh's frustration is understandable as he has helped the junior team make five podium finishes, and a Junior World Cup bronze medal in his brief stint. That had signalled the transition from an elite player to an elite coach.
Dilip Tirkey insists the federation was not shutting the door on him.
"The offer from Hockey India still stands. If he says yes, we will appoint him as the coach of India-A and also as the specialist goalkeeping coach for the Indian team," Tirkey said.
More significantly, Tirkey also denied a key allegation made by Sreejesh regarding the federation's preference for foreign coaches. Sreejesh had claimed that Hockey India believed foreign coaches created a better developmental bridge between junior and senior hockey.
"I never said anything like this to Sreejesh," Tirkey responded.
The disagreement once again exposes the faultlines in Indian hockey- a sport that has won medals for India in successive Olympics.
Sreejesh walking away from the offer to coach developmental or A team, while remaining a key part of the Indian Hockey League may create bigger conflicts. Whether or not it's the superstar's ego that came in the way of a position is not clear. But one thing is- Hockey India's man management skills have been tested and found wantingÂ