“Being Removed”: India Great PR Sreejesh Deeply Hurt With Hockey India, Writes Strongly-Worded Statement

PR Sreejesh, an illustrious member of the Indian men’s hockey team which won two back-to-back medals at the Olympics in 2020 and 2024, penned a strongly worded post on X on Wednesday. Sreejesh, who was named as the Indian junior men’s team coach after the 2024 Olympics, indicated that he was being removed from the post to make way for a foreign coach. Under him, the Indian junior team won a bronze medal at the Hockey World Cup.

“It seems like my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal. 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,” Sreejesh wrote in a long post on X.

He revealed a message from Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Kumar Tirkey.

“The Hockey India President stated that the chief coach of the senior men’s team prefers a foreign head coach for the junior team, believing it will help develop Indian hockey from the junior level through to the senior level. Hence, the continued preference for foreign coaches – Can’t Indian coaches develop Indian hockey?”

Sreejesh went on to refer to an interaction with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“On 07-03-2026, during a meeting with the Hon’ble Sports Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, I was told, “Sreejesh, we need coaches like you to step up and lead our country as we prepare for 2036.” However, Hockey India continues to place its trust in foreign coaches over Indian ones across all four teams,” he wrote further.

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