'Great honour for me to play my fourth Hockey World Cup for India' - PR Sreejesh

All set to feature in his fourth FIH men's hockey World Cup and his third on home soil, veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh senses that his team can do reasonably than the quarterfinal ouster in the last edition and even end on top of the podium this time. The showpiece starts in Rourkela on Friday. In 2018, India pinnacled its pool after winning a couple of games and drawing one. Still, it lost to eventual runner-up Netherlands 2-1 in the quarters, played at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, one of the two venues this time.

"It is a great honour for me to play my fourth World Cup for our country, and the special part is, this is my third World Cup on home soil. I don't think any player has had this privilege of playing three World Cups at home," Sreejesh told ahead of India's opening Pool D contest on Friday versus Spain.

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"In 2018, we couldn't go into semis. We have one more opportunity to change our fortunes at this mega event. Hopefully, we can improve our previous performance and finish on top," added Sreejesh. India has not ended up on the podium in 48 years since winning the championship in the 1975 edition in Kuala Lumpur under Ajit Pal Singh's captaincy.

The 34-year-old professional goalkeeper, the second most capped Indian in the side after Manpreet Singh, expressed that outcomes count more than the number of times a player features in a marquee affair like the HWC. "I've always felt it's not about how many times you have played a tournament, but whether you have won matters the most. This time too, it's important for me to give my 100 per cent and get the desired result from the tournament," declared Sreejesh, who played a meaningful role in India's historic bronze-medal feat in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

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Sreejesh, anointed the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year, recalled his maiden outing at the HWC when the head coach invited him to take guard for India's post versus arch-rival Pakistan in New Delhi during the 2010 edition. "My first match in the World Cup was against Pakistan. During the team meeting, I remember that our coach said that Pakistan would come fully prepared for goalkeeper Adrian [D'Souza], so he decided to put me in the match against them," he recognised.

"When he asked me to pad up, the feeling of getting a chance was simply incredible," recalled Sreejesh, feeling nostalgic. To play my first World Cup match in front of a packed home ground against Pakistan felt like a dream. I can still feel the atmosphere, how the stadium was, how people reacted and how we won that match. That was the best moment for me as a youngster," added Sreejesh.

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Sreejesh also recognised India's trek in the ensuing HWC occurrences. "Every World Cup is special for a player, but I distinctly remember the 2014 World Cup in Hague. Unfortunately, we finished ninth, but we fought well in that tournament. I thought that was a great performance," he concluded.

(With inputs from PTI)