PR Sreejesh confident that Paris weather will have no impact on Indian hockey team's performance at Paris Olympics 2024
Indian hockey team's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has expressed confidence in his team ahead of their opening bout against New Zealand today (July 27). India will want to get off to a flying start at the Paris 2024 Olympics against the Black Sticks at the magnificent Yves-du-Manoir stadium in Paris.
However, a challenge India would have to overcome in their bid to perform well in Paris is the weather. Expressing his opinion, PR Sreejesh asserts that the team is all prepared for it.
The 36-year-old, who will be retiring after the Olympics, has shown full faith in the team's preparation in order to negate the weather.
“Europe’s weather is unpredictable. One day it’s hot, the next it could rain, and then it might be cold. However, our team is quite familiar with such conditions as we frequently travel to Europe for matches against teams like Holland, Germany, Spain, and Belgium," Sreejesh told Jio Cinema, adding, "We’ve trained on all three pitches in Paris, which are fast and good.”
"Taking it one match at a time and giving our best": PR Sreejesh on team's strategy for the Paris 2024 Olympics
The road to Olympic glory would not be the easiest for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalists. India is pitted against New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Ireland and defending champions Belgium in a tough Group B. PR Sreejesh feels the team is up for any challenge and shed light on their strategy.
“Every journey has its own challenges. From New Zealand up until we play Belgium, each match presents a unique test. Our focus is to perform consistently, adapting to the different styles of play, defensive setups, and attacking strategies of each team,” he said.
The star Indian goalkeeper is confident and believes in taking the 'one game at a time' approach.
“Taking it one match at a time and giving our best in every game is crucial for accumulating the points needed to qualify for the quarterfinals," concluded Sreejesh.
India defeated New Zealand 3-2 in their opener at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and would hope to do a repeat of the result.