CWG 2018: PR Sreejesh and SV Sunil aim to mentor and advise the young guns in the team
Indian hockey’s experienced duo of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and striker SV Sunil, who have previously won medals in CWG, will look to lead youngsters at the Gold Coast. The striker also added that they will always look to motivate the boys rather than scold them if and when they falter.
One of India’s biggest hopes in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is hockey, where they have a real chance of clinching a medal. The Indian Hockey team were humbled in a somewhat disappointing outing in the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and will really have to bounce back to winning ways fast.
Sreejesh and Sunil have been part of the national setup for almost 10 years now and will look to guide the current young and inexperienced crop that has traveled to Australia.
“It is a prestigious tournament and given our recent performances expectations are high. As seniors, we have been preparing the youngsters on what to expect at tournaments like the CWG, Asian Games
But when you are on the field, it feels like you are in a pressure cooker. If you want to perform well, your undivided attention has to be on the game. The channels for pressure are plenty, you simply cannot allow it to get to you,” explained Sreejesh in an interview to TOI.
Seasoned striker SV Sunil, who has always been a man of few words, was adamant that the boys would need to set targets for themselves ahead of the tournament and they must get accustomed to the pressure of playing at the highest level.
“We have been playing together for 10 years and it is important for us to lead by example on the field with our conduct and executions. Both of us have won medals at the CWG and we know how it feels and what it means to step on to the podium,”
I remember the day our chief coach (Sjoerd Marijne) took over, he said target gold at CWG. Given our maturity, the seniors took it as a challenge but we ensured the juniors realized setting goals didn’t mean inviting pressure on ourselves,” said Sunil.
Although admitting that there were adjustments needed to be made, Sunil also admitted that it would be important to be patient with the youngsters in the team.
“Mistakes are bound to happen, but it is important not to scold them. Instead, we have to motivate them. I always tell them that on the field there are no seniors or juniors. So, if they think I’m hanging on to the ball longer than required, they have to communicate. Also I often advise them not to think too much about the opposition. Rankings are mere numbers. The best team on the day wins,” the striker added.
Bale attempted 2.6 shots per game this SLL, while Benzema has attempted 2 shots.
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