PR Sreejesh Confirms Retirement, Paris 2024 to Be His Final Tournament
Star Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh confirmed that the Paris 2024 Olympics will be his last outing at the international level. Presently 36, his final run has fueled the Indian men’s hockey to kick off the campaign ‘Win it for Sreejesh.’ This urged global hockey fans for support in order to make another podium finish.
Legend’s Career
He has also represented the country in three Olympic Games, besides a Commonwealth Games and World Cups clearly a proud 328 international caps to his name, he has been there for more than a dozen years. Ready for the fourth probably the biggest game of his life, Sreejesh said this on his contribution to Indian hockey.
Sreejesh made his senior debut at the 2010 World Cup, but quickly rose to become one of the biggest sensations in goalkeeping.
Milestones and Achievements
Notable among the other inclusions in this list are: Testament to his natural, inherent, and enduring talent and skills is the bronze medal that he won at the 2018 edition of the event hosted in Jakarta-
Palembang.
Joint winning team at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy: Story of his contribution to the great team performance
Gold Medal at 2019 FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar: This is a fact from a successful career.
Silver Medal at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: This was a medal of which he played a huge role in grabbing it.
Bronze Medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Sreejesh was there to guide India to that historic third-place finish, first in Indian hockey history.
Among many other classy awards he has received for his on-field performances, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award came in the year 2021. Another feather for this tournament is that it made him the second player from India to bag the award of World Games Athlete of the Year for 2021. He was awarded the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year in the year 2021 and again repeated the feat in the year 2022.
On the Road to Paris 2024
There, Sreejesh played a very pivotal role when India won last year the gold in the Asian Games, thus confirming a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics. His experience and leadership will come in handy for a team preparing for this final challenge.
Feeling proud and grateful, he looked backward at the journey. “As I prep for my last dance in Paris, I look back with immense pride and forward with hope. 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 stated.
From the Perspective of a Teammate
But through it all, Sreejesh always credited his team. “I had discussed with the entire team about my decision to retire post-Olympics. The hard and ardent times, my teammates have stood besides and we all want to give our absolute best here in Paris. And certainly the desire is to change the colour of our medal,” he further talked up his commitment towards the team and the sport.
It reflects in the kind of personality he has as a player and as a leader that he never lets excellence remain far from practice, that the mental and physical state of the team is always on his mind. What his ambition does at the career breakpoint tells a great deal about the competitive spirit of Sreejesh and his will to be counted at the very top.
Legacy of PR Sreejesh
As PR Sreejesh gets ready for the final international tournament of his illustrious career, his legacy seals itself for Indian hockey. The journey from being a young aspirant of the game to becoming one of the most-awarded goalkeepers in the world is really something that can inspire many people. Of course, it was his contribution to the game that construed off-field and rests as an indelible mark on Indian hockey.
With a long-lasting legacy backed by his mentorship and dedication to the sport, his retirement is surely going to leave a vacuum in the team. His impact will be far and wide and for a long time to come in essence, almost an inspiration to the next generation of hockey stars.
Conclusion: A Fitting Farewell
With the 2024 Olympics in Paris inching closer, hardly able to wait is the hockey fraternity, which will heave a sigh and celebrate the illustrious career gone or coming up of PR Sreejesh. From “Win it for Sreejesh” to all fanboy moments, the buzz is huge. Meanwhile, the story of Sreejesh is that hard work, passion, and never-say-die character need to be played out on the biggest stages of sport.
With the men’s Indian hockey team all geared up to begin their campaign of Olympic glory, it carries with itself not just the hopes and dreams of a nation but also those of a champion. This could undoubtedly be said to be PR Sreejesh’s last Olympics, full of emotions and turmoils, hence becoming a landmark just not for him but the sport that gave all to it.
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