Junior Hockey World Cup 2025: ‘Attack is the best form of defence,’ says India coach Sreejesh ahead of Switzerland clash
Indian junior men’s team head coach P.R. Sreejesh said he expects more from the side’s attack despite the glut of league-stage goals, ahead of the final FIH Junior Men’s World Cup 2025 Pool B game against Switzerland in Madurai on Tuesday.
The head coach had said he wanted his players to show a ‘killer attitude’ in front of goal after the side’s opening game against Chile, after which they scored 17 goals without reply against Oman. But Sreejesh says there is more work to be done.
“In this format, we need to have that kind of mentality [to score more goals]. League matches are open, and quarterfinal slots are allotted based on your goal average. When preparing for the quarterfinal, we need to go with the attitude that we need to score more goals,” the head coach said in a media interaction.
The Blue Colts kept clean sheets against both opponents this tournament, but Sreejesh says it wouldn’t be right to term his defence untested ahead of playing tougher opponents in the final rounds.
“Our goalkeepers made good saves. The defence has done a wonderful job. We conceded many Penalty Corners as well. There are areas we need to worry about. But the focus is on attack because we say attack is the best form of defence,” the two-time Olympic bronze-medallist opined.
The contest against the 26th-ranked Swiss could be India’s only game in the Temple City. India is well placed to go through as the group winner and will play all its remaining knockout fixtures in Chennai.
“We received a lot of support in Chennai. It was a great environment to play in, and we enjoyed it. Excited to see the crowd in Madurai,” junior team captain Rohit said.
India’s captain Rohit and head coach P.R. Sreejesh during the pre-match press conference in Madurai on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
G. MOORTHY
India’s captain Rohit and head coach P.R. Sreejesh during the pre-match press conference in Madurai on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
G. MOORTHY
Sreejesh acted as a mentor for the junior team during its title-winning run in Lucknow in 2016. From his experiences, he says playing in front of a home crowd could be a double-edged sword.
“When you are playing well, everything is great. The audience acts as your 12th man. But when you have an off day, then you feel, ‘I don’t want to put myself in this situation in front of my own people’. But it’s always a matter of pride to play for your country in front of your people. You are the ambassadors for your nation, and you are representing them on a world platform,” the coach said.
Despite Tamil Nadu hosting the prestigious event, there are no representatives from the state team in the India squad. The head coach believes the right steps are being taken to ensure more participation in future.
“Tamil Nadu has started a league for school students. Many astroturfs are also coming up in the state. They are building up at the grassroots level, and we will see their benefits in a few years. There are a lot of talents in Tamil Nadu, and they will come forward,” he explained.
Published on Dec 01, 2025