Sreejesh to turn out for TN in Sr national hockey championship

: India's ace goalkeeper P R Sreejesh will turn out for Tamil Nadu in the 9th Hockey India Senior National Hockey Championship for Men 'B' Division here from January 7 to 20 and will be the star attraction.

Sreejesh, who is currently employed with the Kerala government, is registered as a player in Tamil Nadu and is available to play for the host.

Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HUT) general secretary M Renukalakshmi said it was a privilege to have Sreejesh play for the state team and expressed hope that he could motivate the squad and ensure qualification for the 'A' division.

Former India captain V Baskaran told reporters here that there was a lot of talent in Tamil Nadu and Sreejesh was the right man to mentor the young players.

"Sreejesh is a wonderful player and Tamil Nadu is blessed that he is part of the team. He can help the young team secure a spot in the A Division," he added.

Sreejesh on his part said he was happy to be back representing Tamil Nadu again and hoped to train hard in the lead up to the tournament.

A total of 41 teams are taking part in the tournament, to be played on a league-cum-knockout basis, the organisers said.

Among the teams in the fray are Bengaluru Hockey Association, Central Secretariat, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Major Port Sports Board, Kerala, Sports Authority of India and CISF.