Having encountered both success and failure from close quarters in a career spanning 14 years, national team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh believes a “much-improved” India has the potential to break its Olympic medal jinx in Tokyo next year.
India’s last success at the quadrennial sporting extravaganza, though, came 40 years ago in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where they won the last of their eight Gold medals.
However, Sreejesh feels that Indian hockey has progressed by leaps and bounds in recent times. “I feel like there is not much of a difference now, we have shown that in our FIH Pro League matches earlier this year, that we can beat anyone, and not just beat, but also dominate them with our style of play.
“With one year left for our preparations, I think it (Tokyo Olympics) is going to be the biggest tournament for me as well, and something tells me that it is going to be a huge year for Indian hockey,” he said.
“We can really bring that elusive Olympic medal back to our country if we perform to our potential in Tokyo next year,” Sreejesh said.