Celebrated India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh on Monday introduced that he’ll retire from the game after the Paris Olympics, ending an 18-year profession throughout which he was a key determine in some historic moments for the group. The 36-year-old, a veteran of 328 worldwide caps, together with three Olympic Video games, and a number of Commonwealth Video games and World Cups, will play in his fourth Olympics beginning July 26 in Paris. “As I put together for my final dance in Paris, I look again with immense delight and transfer ahead with hope,” Sreejesh stated in a Hockey India press launch.
“This journey has been nothing in need of extraordinary, and I’m eternally grateful for the love and assist from my household, teammates, coaches, followers and Hockey India. Thanks for believing in me.
“My teammates have stood by in troublesome and thrilling occasions. All of us need to give our greatest right here in Paris and, in fact, need to change the colour of our medals,” he added, referring to maybe the largest second. His profession — a bronze on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After making his debut on the 2006 South Asian Video games, Sreejesh has been a part of a number of memorable victories for India, together with a gold on the 2014 Asian Video games and a bronze medal on the 2018 Asiad Jakarta-Palembang.
He was additionally a part of the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy profitable group and the 2019 FIH Males’s Collection Remaining Champion group in Bhubaneswar.
The affable defender additionally performed a key position within the 2022 Commonwealth Video games silver medal profitable group.
Sreejesh, one of many principal architects of India’s historic bronze medal win on the Tokyo Olympics and captain Harmanpreet Singh stated the group will look to safe one other medal on the Paris Video games to mark Sreejesh’s final match.
“Paris 2024 will probably be a really particular match. We’ve determined to dedicate our marketing campaign to the legendary PR Sreejesh,” stated Harmanpreet.
“He’s an inspiration to all of us and I bear in mind his mentorship after we gained the Junior World Cup in 2016. It was the beginning of lots of our careers in worldwide hockey and he has formed every of our careers in his personal manner.
“We need to ‘win it for Sreejesh’ and we’re extra motivated to face on the rostrum yet another time.” The Kerala man, who was instrumental in India’s third-place end within the Hockey Professional League 2021/22, was awarded the Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
He’s solely the second athlete from India to win the World Video games Athlete of the 12 months award in 2021. As well as, he gained consecutive FIH Goalkeeper of the 12 months awards in 2021 and 2022.
Final yr, Sreejesh stood tall in India’s gold medal-winning marketing campaign on the Asian Video games that sealed the group’s berth for the Paris Olympics.
Congratulating Sreejesh on his good profession, HI President Dilip Tirkey stated: “Sreejesh was barely 18 or 19 after I first noticed him within the Indian camp and if I bear in mind accurately, he made his worldwide debut after I was captaining the Indian group. the group
“He’s a really particular participant and my coronary heart is crammed with pleasure and gratitude for his exemplary contribution to Indian hockey. This go to to Paris will definitely be a particular one for the group.
“I imagine Sreejesh’s resolution will solely encourage the group to face on the rostrum yet another time and make it particular not just for Sreejesh however for the whole hockey fraternity. I want him and the group all one of the best.” HI Secretary Normal Bhola Nath Singh additionally paid glowing tributes to Sreejesh.
“Sreejesh is a legend, an inspiration to the whole nation and I congratulate him for a superb profession that has been related to a number of accolades which have introduced honor and delight to the nation.
“Hockey India respects his resolution to retire after the Paris Olympic Video games, making this a really particular match not just for the group but in addition for Indian hockey followers. I want him and the group one of the best of their marketing campaign.” The Indian hockey group will start its Olympic marketing campaign in opposition to New Zealand on July 27, adopted by Argentina (July 29), Eire (July 30), Belgium (August 1) and Australia (August 2).
The Indian hockey group arrived in Paris after coaching in Switzerland for the Video games.
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