India legend Sreejesh aims to finish stellar career on a high note

Just days before the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh announced that it would be his final international tournament.

The 36-year-old shot-stopper is competing at his fourth Olympics, having represented the eight times Olympic gold medallists at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

After failing to qualify for Beijing 2008, India’s Olympic return at London 2012 ended in a disappointing 12th place finish. However, their progress since has been notable, building on an eighth-place finish at Rio 2016 by claiming a brilliant bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, their first podium placement since winning gold at Moscow 1980.

Sreejesh, who has represented his country more than 300 times and was named FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year both in 2021 and 2022, has been a central figure in India’s resurgence and will be looking to end a sensational international career on a wonderful high by medalling at Paris 2024.

“I announced that this was going to be my final tournament because I didn’t want to have that emotional feeling inside me, I just want to blast it out and focus on my game”, said Sreejesh, speaking after his team’s opening day Pool B victory over New Zealand. “There are a lot of people looking at me to make those saves that keep my team in these matches, and I felt this was the best thing for me, choosing to announce this.”

Sreejesh admits that the reaction of his team-mates to the news has been overwhelming. “Everyone has been saying ‘let’s win it for Sreejesh’, which has been pretty special. They are using it as another purpose to win, and the captain (Harmanpreet Singh) says it is a great thing.

“I’m so happy to be playing my fourth Olympics with these exciting young players, but also a bit emotional. I’ve been playing this game for the last 24 years, doing the same thing over and over. Soon that will stop and what is next? I don’t know. I’m just going to enjoy every second of this, here at the stadium and at the village with the players, making memories.”

Reflecting on his team’s battling performance against New Zealand, in which Harmanpreet Singh netted a late penalty stroke to seal the victory, Sreejesh said:

“I am happy to get the three points before we go into the next match (against Argentina on Monday 29 July), but we conceded too many penalty corners which gave them opportunities to score. The first match is always going to be tricky because there are nerves before the start, and we have a lot of guys who have never experienced this before. Winning the first match is really important as it will help those guys get used to the Olympic environment as we aim to reach the quarter finals.”