On December 10, 2025, as the India junior men’s hockey team ended a nine-year wait for a Jr World Cup medal, it also marked the rise of Indian coaches in the system. At the centre of it was twice Olympic medallist and legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who took up coaching soon after retiring following the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 18 months, Sreejesh guided the Jr team to five podium finishes in five tournaments.

However, just months after the Jr World Cup success, he is out of the set-up. The reason, according to the former goalkeeper, is Hockey India’s (HI) preference for a foreign coach.