Sreejesh calls for accountability after India's 2026 Hockey World Cup exit

Legendary goalkeeper and two-time Olympic bronze medallist PR Sreejesh on Monday voiced his frustration over India's underwhelming showing at the FIH World Cup, saying there must be "accountability" and that the global event cannot be treated as a "dress rehearsal." The Indian men's team lost 3-5 to Argentina in Amstelveen on Monday, extinguishing their wafer-thin hopes of reaching the semifinals. The women's team, meanwhile, succumbed to the pressure of a must-win game and were knocked out of semifinal contention after being held to a goalless draw by Australia on Saturday.

A member of India's bronze medal-winning teams at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, Sreejesh said someone needs to ask the "difficult" and "uncomfortable" questions over the lacklustre performances.

"...Here's the uncomfortable question: Are we building a team to PLAY good hockey, or a team capable of WINNING against the best in the world?" Sreejesh, India's most successful hockey goalkeeper, wrote on 'X'.

"Stop hiding behind 'learning', 'good hockey' and future tournaments. The World Cup is not a rehearsal. It is the World Cup. So who is going to ask the difficult questions? Who is going to demand accountability? And most importantly...Does anyone actually care?" he asked.

The Indian men's team entered the World Cup on the back of an unimpressive Pro League campaign, finishing eighth among nine teams. However, there were renewed hopes of a better showing after the coaches and players offered positive feedback on their preparations.

He said the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya next month, where India are expected to challenge for a medal, should not be an excuse for taking the World Cup lightly.

"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 (Olympics). Apparently, that's enough to cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup," wrote Sreejesh.

He also took a dig at women's chief coach Sjoerd Marijne for reportedly leaving the World Cup camp while it was in full swing, saying the players still fought hard and exceeded expectations.

"Women's chief coach on holiday just before the World Cup - and the girls still fought their hearts out and exceeded expectations. Credit to the players. But where is the accountability? Do we really expect a team to perform at its best when the chief coach is away during the final phase of preparation?" he questioned.

He also took a swipe at the oft-repeated "learning experience" refrain after defeats, pointing to India's win over Pakistan, which was hailed as a major victory, to question whether such results were being given undue importance.

"Men's team loses to a top team -- "It's a learning experience." Beats an Asian team -- "Great victory." Plays good hockey -- "Good performance.

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