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India were beaten 1-3 by Australia in the shootout after score remained 1-1 at the end of regulation time. It was second consecutive silver medal for India in the tournament.
Sreejesh, who stood out under the bar throughout the tournament, said the Indian players had it in them to prevail over Australia.
“I was disappointed for not winning the gold in the Champions Trophy because we anticipated meeting Australia in finals. We did meet them, but could not do well in shootout. We believed we could beat Australia and played with that spirit,” Sreejesh told PTI after his arrival from Netherlands here.
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Looking ahead, Sreejesh said after the five-day break, the team will assemble and chart out strategies and plans for the Asian Games.
Talking about his own performance in the tournament, Sreejesh said, it was a challenge to recover from injury and perform.
“I worked really very hard to become match fit and worked on certain aspects of the game. All these could not have happened without team support. I am happy to win the award and I think, our defence really stood out,” he said.
Replying to a query, Sreejesh said coach Harendra Singh has been great for the team because he is good at motivating the players.
“Harendra knows the boys really well, for all of us have worked with him at junior level. One of the best parts of him is, he really motivates and pumps up players. He is gifted with using right words just before players walk onto the field.”
The players also are immensely happy to give Harendra his first silver as the coach, for he had never played as a player for the country in Champions Trophy, Sreejesh added.