5 things we learned from the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
The Indian hockey team are fresh off their penultimate tournament before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this August, and finished the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia in second behind Australia. The Kookaburras dominated the tournament, going undefeated to take their ninth Sultan Azlan Shah title.
The teams will likely meet again at the Champions Trophy in Spain this June prior to the Games, but we learned some crucial facts about the squad at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup:
India need keepers: Side is seriously lacking in the absence of PR Sreejesh
Star Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh is known as the Wall of Indian hockey, and it’s not without reason. The 28-year-old has been an integral part of the team's defence in their international outings, and was part of the squad that won silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
At the 2014 Hockey Champions Trophy, Sreejesh was judged ‘Goalkeeper of the Tournament for his skills; unfortunately, that has also meant the side has suffered in his absence.
With 2016 an Olympic year, the Indian vice-captain chose to sit out the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to train and rest ahead of the Games. That meant that India faltered in his absence; he was replaced by young goalkeeper Akash Chikte, who does not have the impenetrable defensive skills of his much senior teammate. That also meant India conceded a goal in every match they played at the tournament, and lost out on easy defending opportunities.
While Sreejesh – for whom this will be his second Olympic appearance, will be part of the contingnet that goes to Rio this August. But it is worrying that India do not have the level of his keeping talent should he be unable to play a match, or suffer injury on a stage such as the Olympics, where every victory counts. His absence, even for a single game, could prove costly for an otherwise talented team that features in the world’s 10 best hockey teams.