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The phenomenal goalkeeper known for his inimitable saves will regretfully no longer be seen at the goalpost, as the 2024 Olympics marked the finale of his player career. Bagging his second bronze, he retired at the peak, and in this article, we’ll look at PR Sreejesh’s ascent to the top.
Early Life and Beginnings
The story of the future field hockey superstar began in Kizhakkambalam, a suburb of the port city of Kochi in Kerala. Born in 1988, Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh was the son of a farmer who, despite his modest finances, did not hesitate to invest in his child’s sporting career.
Although PR Sreejesh was attracted to sports from a very young age, hockey was not his passion initially. As a teenager, he began attending the GV Raja Sports School in Kerala’s capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, where he took up athletic disciplines and volleyball.
However, a young Sreejesh grabbed the attention of the school’s coaches, Ramesh Kolappa and Jayakumar, who advised him to try playing hockey. Under the coaches’ tutelage, the promising youngster mastered the sport and eventually chose the path of a goalkeeper.
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Kitting him up cost Sreejesh’s father a cow, which he had sold to provide his son with good protective gear that let him perform at the national competitions. In 2004, the 16-year-old made his first appearance on the international scene as part of India’s junior field hockey team.
The rising talent was almost immediately spotted and, as a result, advanced to the senior squad, where he debuted at the 2006 South Asian Games. He kept the goal well until the final match against Pakistan, which brought India a defeat and taught Sreejesh a valuable lesson.
Entry Into Indian Hockey
Now, let’s take a step aside and, for a moment, switch from the hero of our story to the backdrop of his feats. Because India is a cricket nation, and hockey may fall off the radar with sports fans, it’s worth dwelling on how this stick-and-ball game originated and evolved in the country.
Indians began playing hockey in the mid-19th century after it had been imported under British rule. The Indian Hockey Federation was established in 1925, and three years later, the nation won its first Olympic gold medal. The men’s team took 7 more later—a tally still unsurpassed.
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India’s supremacy in the sport in the 20th century was supported by the 1975 World Cup and multiple other trophies. After a downturn in the 1980s and 1990s, national hockey revived and is now in the world’s top five. The following are only some of the recent accolades:
- Third place at the 2017 World League.
- Second place at the 2018 Champions Trophy.
- Bronze at the 2020 Olympic Games.
- Silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
- Gold at the 2022 Asian Games
- Bronze at the 2024 Olympic Games.
- First place at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy.
Indian hockey’s triumph on the international scale has lured local bettors in, and the sport has become one of the most in-demand options for online betting along with cricket and football. Nowadays, India’s top betting websites offer extensive opportunities to wager on hockey online.
Of all the bookmakers, 1xBet stands out thanks to its overwhelming choice of events and markets for pre-game and in-play online hockey betting. So, if you want to place your bet on the sport online at favorable odds, you’re welcome to visit https://india.1xbet.com/line/ice-hockey.
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Highlights of Sreejesh’s Career
The 2024 Olympics in Paris was not only the sensational goalkeeper’s farewell but yet another solid proof of why PR Sreejesh is nicknamed the “Great Wall of India.” During his years-long watch at the goalpost, he made tons of legendary saves that wowed spectators and upset rivals.
Let’s first recall the most important tournaments where the goalie participated and contributed to the team’s success and then break down his most impressive performances in particular games.
Major Tournaments
- The 2011 Asian Champions Trophy. Sreejesh snatched the trophy for India by successfully withstanding two penalties from the nation’s perennial rival Pakistan and retrieving the 2006 defeat. The goalie received kudos and a regular spot on the team.
- The 2013 Asia Cup. India’s national team didn’t come out a winner in the tournament, but it placed second, and Sreejesh was instrumental in the podium finish. He was even awarded the “Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament” title for his goalkeeping mastery.
- The 2014 Asian Games. Sreejesh became the man of the moment a year later at another major Asian competition. In India’s final matchup with Pakistan, he adamantly kept the goal, saved penalty shots, and led the squad to the Games gold medal.
- The 2016 Champions Trophy. In the final of the Hockey Champions Trophy held in London, PR Sreejesh took the field as both the goalkeeper and captain of the national team. The result was the tournament’s silver medal and regular captaincy for Sreejesh.
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Iconic Saves and Matches
- The 2015 World League. In the third-place match, things were not optimistic for the Indian squad: its opponent, the Netherlands, was considerably stronger, and its goalie, PR Sreejesh, had multiple injuries hurting him with every movement. Despite all that, the Wall helped clinch the match win in the penalty shootout through his amazing saves.
- The 2020 Olympics. The bronze medal game at the Tokyo Olympics was pivotal for India, whose previous podium finish had only been in 1980. Without Sreejesh’s proficiency, experience, and goalkeeping brilliance, the podium drought would have continued. Beyond any doubt, he was a heavy contributor to India’s bronze medal.
- The 2024 Olympics. The nation’s second consecutive bronze was also largely due to Sreejesh’s finesse. First, he showcased his signature saves in the penalty shootout during the quarterfinal against Britain. Then, he vehemently guarded the goalpost in the bronze medal match against the Spaniards, leaving them no chance to score.
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Leadership and Legacy
PR Sreejesh has made a name for himself in national and global hockey as both a high-profile goalkeeper and a strong leader able to inspire his teammates to on-field exploits. So, there was a really good reason he was appointed a captain of India’s national team in 2016.
That year, the team guided by Sreejesh became a silver medalist at the Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy. And it was under his captaincy that the squad reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics, which was a significant improvement from the previous Games.
But first of all, he’s a goalkeeping icon notable for his sharp instincts and agility at the goalpost. When keeping the goal, Sreejesh was on a mission to make saves at any cost. His staggering reactions, dives, and other goalkeeping skills have earned him a truly remarkable legacy.
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Challenges and Comebacks
During his twenty-year career, Sreejesh met a number of challenges on and off the pitch. As a junior player, he faced a language barrier at the national competitions as he didn’t speak Hindi well. All in all, the humble Kerala boy had to work really hard to make it to the big game.
At the early beginning of his career journey, the goalie rarely hit the starting lineup of the national team and spent a lot of time on the bench. Only through his colossal efforts and perseverance did PR Sreejesh carve out his place as a permanent team member in 2011.
The final match at the 2011 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos was his seminal comeback and vengeance for the loss to Pakistan in 2006. A few years later, the goalkeeper was back again to help the Indian national team to come out victorious in this arch-rivalry.
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Sreejesh’s Impact on Indian Hockey
PR Sreejesh’s journey from a hockey pitch in Kerala to premier fields and podiums of major international tournaments was highly inspirational and impactful. His outstanding accomplishments have raised a strong interest in the sport and taken it to the next level in India.
The world-renowned goalkeeper has drawn crowds of fans, professional athletes, recreational players, bettors, and sponsors to the game. He’s among the stick-and-ball virtuosos who have made India a formidable field hockey nation again and brought it back to the top rankings.
Albeit retiring from his player career, Sreejesh has remained in the sport’s realm, becoming the head coach of India’s junior hockey team. Under his leadership, the under-21 squad achieved third place at the Sultan of Johor Cup and the champion title at the Junior Asia Cup in 2024.
Conclusion
Sreejesh is a name well-known to everyone enthusiastic about field hockey. His astounding saves have earned him worldwide fame and made him one of the all-time goalkeeping legends. He’s popularized the sport greatly, and his zero-to-hero story has inspired the next generations.
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