Junior Hockey World Cup 2025: Prince Deep Singh steps into Sreejesh’s legacy with breakout performance
For years, the revered No. 16 jersey has been synonymous with the guardian of India’s hockey dreams. At the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2025, young custodian Prince Deep Singh stepped boldly into that powerful legacy, delivering a phenomenal breakout performance in the iconic jersey once worn by PR Sreejesh.
His heroics during the pressure-cooker shootout against Belgium—featuring clutch saves against Nicolas Bogaerts and Nathan Rogge—were instrumental in sealing India’s place in the semifinal.
The Pathankot native possesses a towering presence in front of the goal. Yet, it’s not just his shootout mastery that distinguishes him; his constant and commanding communication with the defensive unit has equally impressed observers.
Recounting the dramatic quarterfinal, Prince Deep told Sportstar, “It was a tough match for us, as Belgium is a very good team. We started slowly but managed to fight our way back into the game. Conceding the goal just before full-time was difficult, but in the shootout, seeing our players score gave me the confidence to deliver my best.”
The Sreejesh Influence
It goes without saying that Prince Deep picked up the No. 16 jersey due to the influence of double Olympic medallist Sreejesh, currently the Blue Colts head coach. “I started as a goalkeeper in 2016. At that time, I saw Sreejesh sir at the Rio Olympics, and since then I’m wearing No. 16,” the 21-year-old explained.
Prince Deep highlighted the significant advantage of learning directly from such an illustrious figure. “He shares everything with us—when the pressure will be on and how to handle it. In the pool matches, we didn’t have to do a lot, but he constantly reminded us to communicate with the defenders and organise the defence.”
A Goalkeeper by Chance
Interestingly, his hockey journey began in 2015, not as a custodian, but as a right full-back at the Cheema Hockey Academy in Batala. Weekend football matches prompted his eventual switch to goalkeeping.
“During the weekends, we used to play football at the academy, and I played as a goalkeeper. My coaches saw that and asked me to train as a goalkeeper, and I also started to enjoy it,” he recalled.
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His pursuit of excellence soon took him from Ludhiana’s Malwa Hockey Academy to the Roundglass Punjab Hockey Club Academy in Mohali to polish his skills. His early career saw him represent the Roundglass Academy in the 2nd Hockey India Junior Men Academy National Championship 2022, and later play for Punjab, winning a bronze at the 5th Khelo India Youth Games 2022. He also featured for Hockey Punjab in the 13th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship in 2023.
His ascent continued in 2024 with his selection among the 40-member probables for the Junior Men’s National coaching camp. He was also a gold medallist with the Indian team at the FIH Junior Asia Cup 2024 and a silver medallist at the recently concluded Sultan of Johor Cup 2025.
As part of the leadership group, Prince Deep cherishes the responsibilities that come with India’s quest to win the Junior World Cup title on home soil after a nine-year gap.
“As players, we have to perform under pressure and take responsibilities. There will always be pressure when you represent the country, but then it is a privilege,” he affirmed.
Published on Dec 06, 2025