‘Wall of Indian hockey’ PR Sreejesh set for one last dance in Paris | Paris Olympics 2024 News
NEW DELHI: PR Sreejesh, often referred to as the ‘Wall of Indian hockey,’ on Monday announced that Paris Olympics will mark the end of his illustrious 18-year-long international career.
Sreejesh, who will become the first Indian goalkeeper to compete in four Olympics, aims to bring home a medal in his final tournament. His journey in hockey began in 2006, marked by countless achievements, including an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.
“This (Olympics) is my last tournament,” Sreejesh told PTI in an exclusive interview from Paris.
“Now it’s time for the family; once we settle down we will plan for the future. I will plan according to their comfort because all these years they have sacrificed a lot for me.
“I will sit down and take the opinion of kids, wife and parents. If they allow me, I will plan accordingly. But, still, I will work at the grassroots level and help develop Indian hockey,” added one of the finest goalkeepers hockey has seen.
Sreejesh’s career has not been without challenges. After making his senior debut in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Colombo, he often found himself as a backup to senior goalkeepers like Baljit Singh, Adrian D’Souza, and Bharat Chettri.
His big break came in 2009 when Baljit Singh suffered a career-ending eye injury. Seizing the opportunity, Sreejesh soon established himself as a formidable presence in the Indian team.
His career is adorned with numerous accolades, including two Asian Games gold medals, two Commonwealth Games silver medals, and four Asian Champions Trophy gold medals. However, the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo remains his most cherished achievement. Sreejesh looks forward to bettering this in Paris.
“Expectations rise if you perform and that’s good, as it gives us confidence. Take it positively and don’t take too much pressure. Personally, I just want to perform better than last time and help in changing the colour of the medal this time,” he said.
The 36-year-old is a veteran of 328 international caps and will be the first custodian from India to feature in his fourth Olympics in Paris.
“It’s a big honour and privilege to be able to compete in four Olympics but that’s it; after that it time for the youngsters to take my place. I have had a very successful career and I am satisfied with what I have achieved.”
In recognition of his contributions to hockey, Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He also became only the second Indian sportsperson to win the World Games Athlete of the Year award in 2021 and has been honored with the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2021 and 2022.
Sreejesh shared that a three-day camp at adventurer Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland was life-changing for him and the team.
“Mike Horn is not a normal person; he is an extraordinary human being. He is someone who came out of his comfort zone and faced death and overcame it many times. So he did the same thing (at the camp)… he made us come out of our comfort zone.
“When we reached Switzerland after a long journey, he didn’t give us time to sleep, he just said ‘you have half an hour, pack your stuffs and come’. We went to the snow, we did hiking, it was a very rich experience for us. Then, he taught how a team works, how we need to support each other,” he said.
“The next day, we did cycling and then we went to a hill after a travel of 20 minutes in a cable car and we came down on foot from that hill. After coming down from the hill, we did cycling for 20kms, we set our camp at a normal place and the food was also very uncomfortable.
“The next day, we climbed down from a cliff with the help of ropes. So, it taught us how strong we are. It helped us dig out our hidden talent and courage,” Sreejesh added.
Sreejesh pointed out that the team has seen several changes since the Tokyo Olympics, with a greater focus now on defensive hockey.
“See everything has changed. In two years, our coaching staff has changed, we are mostly training with European staff. Our style of play has also changed.
“In the last one-and-a-half years, our main focus has been on playing defensive hockey. But, definitely, we do have forwards who can score goals,” Sreejesh said.
India’s 16-member squad in Paris comprises 11 players who were in Tokyo, while five will be making their Olympic debut.
“11 players in this squad have Olympic medals and have got lots of experience but the five players who will make their debut in Paris also have enough international experience,” he said.
India are placed in a tough pool alongside Australia, Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
“According to me, it is a good group. The first three matches gives us a chance to take off. These three matches will prepare us for the last two tough matches against Australia and Belgium,” he said.
“It is very important for us to garner as many points as possible from the first three matches as four teams from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals.”
India will begin its campaign on July 27 against New Zealand, followed by Argentina (July 29), Ireland (July 30), Belgium (August 1) and Australia (August 2).
Sreejesh, who will become the first Indian goalkeeper to compete in four Olympics, aims to bring home a medal in his final tournament. His journey in hockey began in 2006, marked by countless achievements, including an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.
“This (Olympics) is my last tournament,” Sreejesh told PTI in an exclusive interview from Paris.
“Now it’s time for the family; once we settle down we will plan for the future. I will plan according to their comfort because all these years they have sacrificed a lot for me.
“I will sit down and take the opinion of kids, wife and parents. If they allow me, I will plan accordingly. But, still, I will work at the grassroots level and help develop Indian hockey,” added one of the finest goalkeepers hockey has seen.
Sreejesh’s career has not been without challenges. After making his senior debut in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Colombo, he often found himself as a backup to senior goalkeepers like Baljit Singh, Adrian D’Souza, and Bharat Chettri.
His big break came in 2009 when Baljit Singh suffered a career-ending eye injury. Seizing the opportunity, Sreejesh soon established himself as a formidable presence in the Indian team.
His career is adorned with numerous accolades, including two Asian Games gold medals, two Commonwealth Games silver medals, and four Asian Champions Trophy gold medals. However, the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo remains his most cherished achievement. Sreejesh looks forward to bettering this in Paris.
“Expectations rise if you perform and that’s good, as it gives us confidence. Take it positively and don’t take too much pressure. Personally, I just want to perform better than last time and help in changing the colour of the medal this time,” he said.
The 36-year-old is a veteran of 328 international caps and will be the first custodian from India to feature in his fourth Olympics in Paris.
“It’s a big honour and privilege to be able to compete in four Olympics but that’s it; after that it time for the youngsters to take my place. I have had a very successful career and I am satisfied with what I have achieved.”
In recognition of his contributions to hockey, Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He also became only the second Indian sportsperson to win the World Games Athlete of the Year award in 2021 and has been honored with the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2021 and 2022.
Sreejesh shared that a three-day camp at adventurer Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland was life-changing for him and the team.
“Mike Horn is not a normal person; he is an extraordinary human being. He is someone who came out of his comfort zone and faced death and overcame it many times. So he did the same thing (at the camp)… he made us come out of our comfort zone.
“When we reached Switzerland after a long journey, he didn’t give us time to sleep, he just said ‘you have half an hour, pack your stuffs and come’. We went to the snow, we did hiking, it was a very rich experience for us. Then, he taught how a team works, how we need to support each other,” he said.
“The next day, we did cycling and then we went to a hill after a travel of 20 minutes in a cable car and we came down on foot from that hill. After coming down from the hill, we did cycling for 20kms, we set our camp at a normal place and the food was also very uncomfortable.
“The next day, we climbed down from a cliff with the help of ropes. So, it taught us how strong we are. It helped us dig out our hidden talent and courage,” Sreejesh added.
Sreejesh pointed out that the team has seen several changes since the Tokyo Olympics, with a greater focus now on defensive hockey.
“See everything has changed. In two years, our coaching staff has changed, we are mostly training with European staff. Our style of play has also changed.
“In the last one-and-a-half years, our main focus has been on playing defensive hockey. But, definitely, we do have forwards who can score goals,” Sreejesh said.
India’s 16-member squad in Paris comprises 11 players who were in Tokyo, while five will be making their Olympic debut.
“11 players in this squad have Olympic medals and have got lots of experience but the five players who will make their debut in Paris also have enough international experience,” he said.
India are placed in a tough pool alongside Australia, Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
“According to me, it is a good group. The first three matches gives us a chance to take off. These three matches will prepare us for the last two tough matches against Australia and Belgium,” he said.
“It is very important for us to garner as many points as possible from the first three matches as four teams from each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals.”
India will begin its campaign on July 27 against New Zealand, followed by Argentina (July 29), Ireland (July 30), Belgium (August 1) and Australia (August 2).
