Sreejesh said the focus should not simply shift to the upcoming Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the World Cup exits. He questioned whether winning a medal at the Asian Games would be enough to “cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup.”
Former India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has questioned the lack of accountability after both the Indian men’s and women’s teams exited the Hockey World Cup. In a strongly worded post on X, Sreejesh said the World Cup should not be treated as a learning exercise and asked whether Indian hockey is serious about beating the best teams in the world.
Sreejesh said the focus should not simply shift to the upcoming Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the World Cup exits. He questioned whether winning a medal at the Asian Games would be enough to “cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup.”
Don’t worry… the World Cup doesn’t matter. 🤡
The Asian Games are coming. Win a medal 🥇 there, and then we can start dreaming about LA 2028. Apparently, that’s enough to cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup.
Women’s chief coach on holiday just before the World…
— sreejesh p r (@16Sreejesh) August 24, 2026
He also raised concerns about the Indian women’s team and the timing of the chief coach’s absence before the World Cup. Sreejesh praised the players for fighting hard and exceeding expectations but questioned where the accountability lies if the chief coach was away during the final stage of preparations.
The Indian Men’s Team went down 3–5 against Argentina in their last Pool E clash at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 to bow out of contention for a place in the semi-finals. 🏑
Sukhjeet Singh scored twice, while Hardik Singh added a third goal for India.… pic.twitter.com/6WxztSEBVe
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 24, 2026
The former goalkeeper also questioned the way the men’s team’s results are viewed. He said defeats against top teams are often called “learning experiences”, while wins against Asian teams are celebrated as “great victories”.
He asked whether India are building a team that can simply play good hockey or one that can actually beat the best teams in the world.
Chief Coach Craig Fulton shares his thoughts after the Indian Men’s Team’s Pool E clash against Argentina at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026. 🏑
India lost 3-5 in their concluding Pool E match. #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HWC2026 #INDvsARG pic.twitter.com/6Ys6jNHlTa
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 24, 2026