Malaysia, examine. Korea, examine. Pakistan, examine, China, examine. Japan…
Indian hockey crew goalkeeper PR Sreejesh throughout a coaching session.(PTI)
As anticipated, the Indian males’s hockey crew has emerged as one of the best crew of the event but, beating everybody aside from Japan. The reigning Asian Games champions have been a thorn in India’s flesh as they held on to a 1-1 draw final week regardless of the hosts piercing their defence and hammering their placing circle repeatedly all through the 60 minutes.
India had 61 p.c possession, earned 27 circle penetrations to Japan’s 11, had 21 photographs on purpose to Japan’s three and earned as many as 14 penalty nook (PC) possibilities to Japan’s solely two. Yet the world No.19 outfit have been capable of maintain India to a draw, forcing the house crew to waste their possibilities.
By the pores and skin of their enamel, Japan have made it to the semi-finals of the Asian Champions Trophy (each Japan and Pakistan had 5 factors however the former had a greater purpose distinction) like they did final time round. In Dhaka 2021, it was the top-placed India who confronted fourth-placed Japan within the semi-final and the reigning Asian Games champions had knocked out the defending champions 5-3 in an surprising end result.
In a repeat of the identical semi-final, the hosts would favor to avenge that end in a metropolis which has been a second dwelling for PR Sreejesh. The semi-final won’t simply be any match however Sreejesh’s three hundredth worldwide. Though he hails from Kerala, the 35-year-old performed for the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HTNU) and was picked for India whereas taking part in for Indian Overseas Bank, Chennai.
“It is an emotional second for me to be taking part in my first event in India colors right here. It is nearly like my worldwide debut on my dwelling floor,” says Sreejesh, who won an Olympic bronze in Tokyo two years back.
When the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awardee takes the pitch at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Friday, he will become only the second player in the current team to have played 300 internationals after Manpreet Singh.
The 35-year-old goalie has aged like fine wine, also winning the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna two years back and the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award for two successive years.
Though he wants to carry on till the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sreejesh is currently taking one tournament at a time. “I am playing at the Asian Champions Trophy right now. Then we have the Asian Games. The Olympics come next year. We will see,” said Sreejesh.
Meanwhile, India chief coach Fulton said the real tournament begins now with the two knockout matches in the next two days.
“It will be about maintaining consistency and not doing it just one way. We played a well-structured game against Pakistan. We did miss a few chances in the fourth quarter but overall we did pretty well,” Fulton said.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
