New -Delhi: With the auctions of season 2 of the Hockey India League (Hil) on the horizon, SG Piper have presented a clear strategy that focuses on building a balanced squad. The director of Hockey, Sreejesh PR, said the team approached the auctions with a structured plan and combined talent with carefully selected new obligations to strengthen both the men and women’s team and women.
With the measured optimism, Sreejesh emphasized how new recruits Jake Draper and Sharmila Devi fit into the Pipers’ system. “Sharmila can run with the ball. She can create opportunities for the forward line from where most of her goals come from. Draper can be an additional strength for our defense structure. In our team we have a very good line of Indian defense. We needed a foreign player who can control the game from the middle. Draper is a freelance defender,” he explained more.
The roadmap for the auctions, he said, focuses on acquiring players who can change the course of the games. “Game Changers are the one we concentrate on. In the men’s team we kept the majority of our players. We need game changers for tomorrow’s auction. We have 12 players in the women’s team. The 8 will really be decisive. The main focus will be a defender, the patch and a striker who scored a goal,” added Sreejesh.
While the selection of players is an over-writer, the coaching setup also brings a new dynamic into the franchise. “If the coaches join us, you will have a clear picture of how we want to carry out our plans this season. According to your plan, we are planning our auction strategy. I am not individual decisions about the players. It is about the coaches and their preferences. As an administrator, it is my role to play the best players for my trainers so that they can play a free-free tournament.”
In addition to the auction and tactical nuances, Sreejesh underlined the broad role of Hil in the design of Indian hockey. For him, the league is more than a competition – it is a breeding ground for the future. “This is the right platform for young people to learn. It is a kindergarten for the youngsters. They rub their shoulders with the older players.
At the beginning of September, SG Pipers confirmed her coaching race: The Dutch Tim Oudenaller took over the men’s team, while the Belgian trainer Sofie gave it the women’s unit. Both will work with Seejesh to ensure that the squad beats the right balance between reliable actors and explosive gaming gifts.
When the auction day approaches, SG-Piper appear clearly and in a targeted manner not only a squad, but a formula that could turn into one of the teams that can be beat in season 2.
