India goalkeeper P R Sreejesh on Friday said focussing only on youth is not going to bring them success but backed Harendra Singh to stay on as coach despite their quarterfinal exit in the hockey World Cup.
Veterans S V Sunil and Ruipinder Pal Singh were excluded from the WCup team owing to injury and lack of form.
Asked if the focus will now primarily be on picking young players, Sreejesh said, "See what do you mean by youth, if a youngster comes into the team and he gets three or four more years experience, does it mean he is an old guy. You can't win tournaments just with youngsters. In important matches we need experience."
The experienced player, who has led India in the past, added, "When you play big matches there is a lot of pressure. The seniors will come in handy as their experience is valuable. Experience plays a big role.
"If you see Argentina, when they won the Olympic Gold, their average age was 32-33. You need a unique combination, youth as well as having some players with the experience of having played in high pressure matches."
Asked about his thoughts on Harendra, Sreejesh said he needs to be given more opportunities to build a good team.
"I have known Harendra sir for the last 14-15 years. Every Indian player knows him for a long time. It is easy for players to be with him. You can't expect a coach to come in and just change everything overnight. "He needs more opportunities and time to build a good team and focus on the Olympics because that is the biggest challenge coming ahead."