Press Trust of India
New Delhi, May 2: Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh stated that a good start in the Rio Olympics is pivotal to the success of the eight-time champions in the quadrennial event.
“Our focus will be to take one match at a time. The key is to win as many matches in the pool stage to be in a good position amongst the top four teams to play in the semifinal,” Sreejesh said Monday.
“Playing Ireland in the first match will be tough as we haven’t played against them since the 2014 Commonwealth Games. However, the way we are preparing, I am optimistic we will be in top shape for Rio,” added the 29-year-old.
Talking about the team’s preparations, Sreejesh said that they are focused on fine tuning their game in the camp, currently on at the SAI Centre in Bangalore.
“Earlier, we would make visible mistakes but now that has been rectified and we have been paying a lot of attention to details, how to create situations, making set pieces and also trying out new tactics that we will try in the following tournaments,” stated the goalkeeper who has been one of the pillars in India’s recent successes.
Being part of squad during the London Olympics where India finished 12th among 12 teams, Sreejesh said the players are determined to erase that memory. “We know what it means to do well in the Olympics. Winning a medal is a dream. We tell the juniors what it’s like being in the Olympics and constantly request them not to get distracted,” informed Sreejesh.