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On December 10, 2025, as the India junior men’s hockey team ended a nine-year wait for a Jr World Cup medal, it also marked the rise of Indian coaches in the system. At the centre of it was twice Olympic medallist and legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who took up coaching soon after retiring following the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 18 months, Sreejesh guided the Jr team to five podium finishes in five tournaments.
However, just months after the Jr World Cup success, he is out of the set-up. The reason, according to the former goalkeeper, is Hockey India’s (HI) preference for a foreign coach.
In a strongly-worded social media post, the Padma Bhushan awardee questioned HI’s faith in Indian coaches. “It seems my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years. Hockey India President said that the senior men’s team’s chief coach prefers a foreign head coach for the junior team. Can’t Indian coaches develop Indian hockey?” asked Sreejesh, whose contract ended in December 2025 and wasn’t renewed after he re-applied for it.
Hockey India released a statement saying, “We have in no terms “fired” Sreejesh. We offered him the position of Coach for the Development team which plays a critical role for Los Angeles ’28 but he did not accept.
In no terms has it ever been conveyed to him that there has been any preference for a foreign coach by the chief coach.”
Sreejesh questioned HI’s thought process that believes he is less experienced. “As per HI, I’m not experienced enough to coach, then why was the responsibility handed over to me in the first place? I was inexperienced when I was given the Jr role and now after 18 months of hard work and a Jr World Cup medal, I suddenly lack experience. Hockey India also mentioned about giving me the development side. Doesn’t lack of experience matter there,” Sreejesh told mid-day on Wednesday.
As per sources, France’s Aymeric Bergamo, who guided his country to a bronze at the 2021 Jr World Cup and has coached many European clubs, may take over as India’s junior coach. Ironically, a Jr World Cup bronze is his only achievement with a national team.
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