Paris. Indian hockey team’s veteran goalkeeper and member of the Olympic medal-winning team PR Sreejesh has decided to say goodbye to the game after the Paris Olympics. The veteran goalkeeper and former hockey captain of India said that the Paris Olympics will be his last international tournament. India won the bronze medal in the last Olympics and this time the intention is to change the color of the medal. The team would like to give a memorable farewell to this veteran player.
This will be the fourth Olympics for Sreejesh, who has played 328 matches for India. 36-year-old Sreejesh, who has played in many Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Cups, was a part of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He played an important role in getting India a bronze medal with his brilliant goalkeeping. India then ended the 41-year medal drought in this sport.
Hockey India on Monday congratulated Sreejesh for his stellar career. Hockey India has launched a campaign ‘Win it for Sreejesh’ for the national team which will inspire the players to stand on the podium again. Sreejesh made his debut for the Indian team in 2010. He was a member of the Indian team that won the gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games and the bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games.
He has been a member of the joint-winning team of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, the gold medal-winning team of the 2019 FIH Men’s Series Final in Bhubaneswar and the silver medal-winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. He played an important role in leading India to third place in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22.
Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He is only the second player from India to win the ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’ 2021 award. He won the FIH ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’ award twice in a row in 2021 and 2022. He performed brilliantly in the Asian Games last year, which helped the Indian team win the gold medal and secure a ticket to the Paris Olympics 2024.
Sreejesh said in a release issued by Hockey India, “As I prepare for my last tournament in Paris, I am very proud of my career and looking forward with hope. My journey so far has been extraordinary and I am forever grateful for the love and support of my family, teammates, all coaches, fans and Hockey India. Thank you for believing in me.”
Tags: 2024 paris olympics, Paris olympics
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 22, 2024, 16:47 IST