“As I prepare for my last dance in Paris, I look back with immense pride and forward with hope,” Sreejesh said in a Hockey India press release.He expressed gratitude to his family, teammates, coaches, fans, and Hockey Indian for their support. “This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am forever grateful for the love and support from my family, teammates, coaches, fans, and Hockey India. Thank you for believing in me.”
He appreciated the support from his teammates during his career. “My teammates have stood beside me through the tough and the ardent times. We all want to give our absolute best here in Paris and certainly, the desire is to change the color of our medal,” he added, referring to the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, one of the highlights of his career.
Sreejesh made his debut at the 2006 South Asian Games and has since been part of several memorable victories for India. These include gold at the 2014 Asian Games and bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang. He also played a crucial role in the silver medal-winning team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and helped secure a third-place finish at the Hockey Pro League 2021/22.
One of the most significant contributions of Sreejesh’s career was India’s historic bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics. Team captain Harmanpreet Singh expressed the team’s commitment to making Sreejesh’s last tournament memorable.
“Paris 2024 will indeed be a special tournament. We have decided to dedicate our campaign to the legend PR Sreejesh. We want to ‘Win it for Sreejesh’ and we are all the more encouraged to stand on the podium once again,” Harmanpreet said.
Sreejesh, originally from Kerala, has received numerous accolades throughout his career. These honors include the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He is the second Indian sportsperson to win the World Games Athlete of the Year award in 2021. Sreejesh has also consecutively won the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey congratulated Sreejesh on his successful career. “Sreejesh was hardly 18 or 19-years-old when I first saw him in the Indian camp. He is a very special player and my heart fills with joy and gratitude for his exemplary contribution to Indian hockey. This outing in Paris will certainly be a special one for the team,” Tirkey said.
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh also praised Sreejesh’s contribution to the sport. “Sreejesh is a legend, an inspiration to the entire nation and I congratulate him on a fantastic career studded with several laurels that have brought honor and pride to the nation,” Singh noted.
Preparing for the Paris Olympics, the Indian hockey team will begin its campaign on July 27 against New Zealand, followed by matches against Argentina, Ireland, Belgium, and Australia. To gear up for the Games, the team has been training in Switzerland.