Indian hockey team goalkeeper P R Sreejesh has admitted that his goalkeeping skills have flourished under the tutelage of South African Dave Staniforth and expressed that he is keen to execute his new techniques in the upcoming four-Test match series against New Zealand.
The Indian men's hockey team has started their training session in Auckland for the upcoming series, which commences on October 2. The series is in preparation for the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015.
The team’s custodian, Sreejesh, is confident of putting up a good show in the upcoming Test Series.
Having undergone a three-week-long goalkeeping camp under Staniforth, Sreejesh seems confident about his form and is positive about showcasing a more consolidated defence.
Speaking before the commencement of the series, Sreejesh said, "The team has been training under the best coaches with an aim to showcase strong play and yielding positive results. The three-week-long camp under Dave Staniforth was a huge and refreshing experience, and I have learnt fresh tricks of the trade which I am all set to use during play."
"I have had the opportunity to learn the art of goalkeeping under Dave in the past too and which helped me become what I am today. This three-week learning has added further value to my goalkeeping skills and I am feeling more confident. This tour will help me understand how best to further refine myself before the all important tournaments which are scheduled in the next one year with Rio 2016 Olympics being the most important," he added.
The Indian team had a very successful European tour recently where they convincingly defeated France and Spain.
India will play two games against New Zealand A team before taking on the national side for a four-match series.
