3 min readMumbaiJul 2, 2026 08:46 PM IST
First published on: Jul 2, 2026 at 08:41 PM IST
Two-time Olympic medallist PR Sreejesh has voiced his disappointment with India’s performances in the FIH Pro League, saying successive eighth-place finishes over the last two seasons reflect a worrying decline in standards.
“I’m not against Indian hockey. I’m disappointed because I care,” Sreejesh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “My hockey knowledge may be limited, and this is just my opinion. (Armchair coaches, you can skip this.) The last two FIH Pro League seasons have exposed the reality—we finished 8th. If not for Ireland and Pakistan, the standings could have looked even worse. Don’t tell me that we are trying new players or we are applying new strategy’s.”
In the 2023-24 season, when Sreejesh was still an active player, India finished seventh in the Pro League. At the Paris Olympics that followed, the Craig Fulton-coached side went on to win the bronze medal.
The former India goalkeeper’s comments come days after he publicly criticised Hockey India for replacing him as junior men’s head coach with decorated French coach Frederic Soyez instead of extending his tenure. Under Sreejesh, India won the bronze medal at the Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup.
In his latest post, Sreejesh argued that India’s recent continental titles should not mask its struggles against the world’s top teams. “Yes, we won the Asian Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup. Congratulations to the team. But let’s be honest: those tournaments are no longer the benchmark for judging where Indian hockey stands globally. Now the usual explanation will be: ‘We’re focusing on the Asian Games because it’s the Olympic qualifier.’ That’s understandable, but the Pro League table doesn’t lie. It showed exactly where we stand against the world’s best. Our junior team can beat Pakistan, it also shows the gap between India and the rest of Asia. Winning Asian tournaments is expected. The real challenge is consistently competing with the top teams in the world,” he said.
The 38-year-old also questioned whether the investment in a foreign head coach has been worth it. “So here’s the question: are we spending Are we spending €24,286 ( approximately Rs 25 Lakhs) a month on a foreign chief coach just to dominate Asian competitions? Or are we investing to become a genuine medal contender at the World Cup, Pro League, and Olympics? Being satisfied with regional success while struggling against the world’s elite shouldn’t be the standard for Indian hockey,” he added.
In the 2023-24 season, when Sreejesh was still an active player, India finished seventh in the Pro League. Later, at the Paris Olympics, the Craig Fulton-coached side went on to win the bronze medal. (File) 
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