Former India men’s hockey captain and Olympic medallist PR Sreejesh has questioned the lack of accountability in Indian hockey after both the men’s and women’s teams fell short of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 semifinals.
Sreejesh raised concerns over India’s approach and preparation after the men’s team bowed out with a 3-5 defeat to Argentina on Monday. The women’s campaign had ended earlier following a goalless draw against Australia.
Taking to X after the men’s exit, Sreejesh questioned whether India were building a team that could merely play good hockey or one capable of beating the world’s best when it mattered most.
“But 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? 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?” Sreejesh wrote.
The former goalkeeper also took aim at the tendency to shift focus to the Asian Games after a disappointing World Cup campaign.
“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,” said Sreejesh, who previously coached the India men’s U-21 team.
He also questioned the preparation of the women’s team and the absence of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne during the final phase before the World Cup.
“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 said.
Sreejesh further questioned the standards by which the men’s team is being judged, pointing to a pattern where victories over Asian opposition are celebrated while defeats against stronger teams are dismissed as learning experiences.
Viren Rasquinha warns Asian Games success could mask deeper issues
Former India captain and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) CEO Viren Rasquinha echoed Sreejesh’s concerns, warning that success at the Asian Games could conceal deeper problems within Indian men’s hockey.
“Asian hockey is currently at its worst ever, seeing the performance of Japan, Pakistan and Malaysia at FIH World Cup. My worry is that gold medal for India at Asian Games will paper over a lot of cracks in Indian Men’s hockey. Serious introspection is needed post the Asian Games – fitness, selection, tactics, squad depth etc,” Rasquinha wrote on X.
India needed to beat Argentina by at least two goals to keep their semifinal hopes alive but conceded five times in a disappointing defensive display. Sukhjeet Singh scored twice, while Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke, but Argentina’s attacking pressure proved decisive.
The defeat extended India’s wait for a men’s World Cup podium finish to 51 years. India won their only World Cup title in 1975 and have not returned to the podium since.
India will now face Belgium in the seventh-eighth place classification match.
The women’s team had earlier bowed out after their 0-0 draw against Australia. The teams finished level on points and goal difference, but Australia advanced to the semifinals by virtue of having scored more goals in the tournament.
With both World Cup campaigns over, India’s focus now shifts to the Asian Games in Japan, where strong performances will also be important in the country’s push towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.