Sports minister shri mansukh mandaviya

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya: Two-time Olympic bronze medallist and former India goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh has publicly expressed his frustration after learning that his stint with the junior men’s side might not be extended, claiming his coaching career may already be nearing an abrupt end despite a successful run that included five podium finishes in five tournaments.

In a strongly worded social media post, Sreejesh questioned Hockey India’s continued reliance on overseas coaches and suggested that his removal was linked to the federation’s preference for appointing a foreign coach in the junior setup.

“It 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. 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,” wrote Sreejesh, who was part of the Indian team that won bronze medals in the last two Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, in his post on X, formerly Twitter.