"It's kind of fun, but also challenging because...": PR Sreejesh opens up on his role at SG Pipers' franchise

Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 1 (ANI): Legendary Indian goalkeeper and two-time Olympic bronze medallist PR Sreejesh, who is the Director of Hockey for the SG Pipers franchise in the Hockey India League (HIL), has opened up on the challenges and the enjoyable aspects of his administrative role.
Speaking about administration, Sreejesh admitted that while the role is enjoyable, it also comes with its own set of challenges.
"It's kind of fun, but it's challenging also because I'm not really into the worst part of administration because I do have a very good team who is managing that but I try to guide them with the experience which I had as a player," Sreejesh told ANI.
He explained that his primary focus is on ensuring player comfort and well-being, drawing from his years of experience on the field.
"I say, okay, these are the things we need to focus and these are the things we need to do it for, you know, comforting these players, these all are clothing systems which are really good, these are the flights which are good for the players to travel because we need to give them a sufficient break to recover. So all the inputs or the advices which I can give to the betterment of the players, I try to give that and ultimately it's more important that you need to be a face for them and you need to be there to give them the pump up or the boost when the team really required it," he added.
Sreejesh, who won bronze medals with India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, said, "The challenging part is the result for sure, because as an administrator, you just want to make sure the team is getting everything in a proper and planned way, and that they are comfortable to perform their best on the field."
He highlighted his responsibility as a bridge between management and players.
"You are the person who is between the corporate and the players, so definitely you need to be responsible for everything that happens with the team performance. So I think it's more important for me to give the best facilities for the team and to make sure that the players are comfortable and our plans are great so that they don't feel any stress during or after or before the tournament. So, it's a bit challenging because being a player or being a coach, it's a different role, but last year's experience helped me to cope up with this," Sreejesh explained.
Reflecting on SG Pipers' struggles in the previous season, where both the men's and women's teams finished at the bottom of the table, Sreejesh said the franchise has addressed key issues ahead of the new campaign.
"Last year, we missed a couple of our key players before even starting the tournament. So, we struggled to get replacements, and though we started well, we couldn't finish the way we wanted," he said.
According to Sreejesh, better planning has been the focus this time around.
"This time, we planned it in the correct way. We changed the coaching staff, picked up new players, and were very clear with the coaching staff and the players about what we expect from them and what their roles and responsibilities are," he stated.
On managing a squad that blends youth and experience, Sreejesh expressed confidence in the balance within the team.
"We do have enough seniors and the juniors in this team, four players from the Junior World Cup squad and Rupinder (Pal Singh) is already retired, but Jarman (Jarmanpreet Singh), Shamsher (Singh), and, Aditya (Arjun Lalage) is there from the senior team, so we do have a very good mix-up," he said.
He also spoke highly of veteran drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh's influence, despite the player having retired from international hockey.
"So I believe that their experience and their current performance is going to help us to play better hockey this season and definitely Rupinder Pal, when he joined us, he brings a lot of leadership quality into the team. Over to that, his experience in drag-flicking and converting penalty corners into goal, that is also going to be a vital part for us," Sreejesh added. (ANI)