Two-time Olympic bronze medallist and former India goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh came down heavily on the Indian hockey management after the men’s and women’s teams bowed out of the ongoing World Cups, failing to advance to the semifinals.
The Indian men’s team exited on Monday after falling to a 3-5 defeat against Argentina, while the women’s team’s goalless draw with Australia on Sunday prevented progression to the last-four stage.
Sreejesh, who retired from the sport after the Paris Olympics, took to his X and demanded accountability for the Indian teams’ poor display at the World Cups.
“Don’t worry… the World Cup doesn’t matter,” he began.
“But here’s the uncomfortable question: Are we building a team to PLAY good hockey, or a team capable of WINNING against the best in the world?” he asked.
“So who is going to ask the difficult questions? Who is going to demand accountability? And most importantly…does anyone actually care?” Sreejesh concluded.
In the recent past, the former India international also had questioned whether Indian coaches were not good enough after his tenure as the junior men’s team coach was not renewed. He had led the team to a bronze medal at last year’s Junior World Cup.
Published on Aug 24, 2026
