Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey clarified that PR Sreejesh was not 'fired' as junior team coach. He stated Sreejesh's contract had ended, and he was offered another role for the LA 2028 Olympic cycle, which he declined.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey on Wednesday said that former Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was not "fired" from his role as coach of the India men's junior hockey team, clarifying that his coaching tenure concluded contractually in December 2025. Tirkey's statement comes after two-time Olympic bronze medallist PR Sreejesh, earlier on Wednesday, in an X post, alleged that his tenure as coach of the India men's junior hockey team has come to an end as Hockey India decided to "make way for a foreign coach."
Responding to the allegations, Tirkey said Sreejesh's coaching term had ended as per the terms of his contract and that Hockey India subsequently followed a formal recruitment process to appoint a new coach. "Hockey India would like to officially state that the coaching term for P.R. Sreejesh was officially concluded as per contract in December 2025. After this, as per protocol, the position was advertised and applicants were shortlisted and finalised as per a proper selection process basis merit. A coach with distinguished qualifications has been selected as a result of this process and will be announced shortly," Tirkey said.
'Not Fired,' Offered Development Team Role: Tirkey
Tirkey said that it did not "fire" PR Sreejesh. He added that Sreejesh was offered a role as coach of the development team, which would support preparations for the LA 2028 Olympic cycle, and would have given him further coaching experience and exposure.
According to Tirkey, Sreejesh chose not to accept the offer even after being asked to reconsider. "We have in no terms "fired" Sreejesh and in fact had offered him the position of Coach for the Development team, which plays a critical role for LA 28 and the next Olympic cycle as well. This would have furthered his experience and exposure as a coach. However, he did not accept this position despite being asked to reconsider the decision," the Hockey India president further.
Sreejesh's Allegation of Foreign Coach Preference
In his X post, Sreejesh had claimed that Hockey India preferred appointing a foreign coach for the junior team based on the recommendation of senior men's team chief coach Craig Fulton. "The Hockey India President stated that the chief coach of the senior men's team prefers a foreign head coach for the junior team, believing it will help develop Indian hockey from the junior level through to the senior level. Hence, the continued preference for foreign coaches -- Can't Indian coaches develop Indian hockey?" Sreejesh wrote.
Hockey India Denies 'Foreign Coach' Claim
However, the Hockey India president said that no communication was ever made to Sreejesh, suggesting any preference for a foreign coach from the chief coach's side. He also stated that the organisation is aligned with the government's long-term vision of building a pathway toward the 2036 Olympics, with a strong focus on developing Indian coaching talent as part of that process. "In no terms has it ever been conveyed to him that there has been any preference for a foreign coach by the chief coach. We are collectively working towards the vision of our government to build a pathway towards 2036 and a big part of that process is to develop our Indian coaching talent," Tirkey said further.
Dilip Tirkey said that developing grassroots and homegrown coaches has always been a core priority. He highlighted that the coaching pathway program has already certified over 600 Indian coaches and has had a wide nationwide impact. Tirkey also added that Indian coaches have been paired with chief coaches during training camps to improve their exposure and further develop their skills. "Development of the grassroots and homegrown coaches has always been central to the interests of Hockey India as a national sports federation. Hockey India's coaching pathway program has certified over 600 homegrown coaches so far and the program has had a nationwide impact. We have, in fact, aligned Indian coaches with our chief coaches in our training camps to enhance their exposure and skills further," Tirkey said.
He said that Hockey India remains fully committed to the development of Indian hockey and that all its decisions are aimed at strengthening the sport. He also praised PR Sreejesh as a legend and expressed goodwill for his future success. "Hockey India remains committed to the growth of Indian hockey and all our decisions are part of a concerted effort to achieve that. We continue to value P.R. Sreejesh as a legend of the sport and look forward to his future success," the president of Hockey India said.
Sreejesh Reflects on Coaching Stint
In his post, Sreejesh, reflecting on his coaching stint, stated that the team achieved podium finishes in all five tournaments it participated in under his leadership, including securing a bronze medal at the Junior World Cup held in Chennai and Madurai in 2025. "It's seems like my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal," Sreejesh wrote in his post on X.
He said that while he had heard of coaches being removed following poor performances, this was the first time he had personally experienced being replaced despite positive results in order to accommodate a foreign coach. "I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances. But this is the first time I am experiencing being removed to make way for a foreign coach," he said. (ANI)
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