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Paris: PR Sreejesh is yet to decide on his life after retirement and felt the country has plenty of talent to replace him under the bat at the Indian men’s hockey team in the future. The 36-year-old goalkeepeing stalwart, who has been a wall for India for nearly two decades, had announced that Paris Olympics 2024 would be his final international tournament. He bid adieu to the game with a head held high as the Men in Blue clinched bronze after beating Spain.
Sreejesh was also a part of the Indian team when it won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics three years back. “There won’t be a vacuum. Someone will come in my place, for sure. All the sports are like that. Sachin Tendulkar was there and now there is Virat Kohli, and someone will take his place tomorrow,” Sreejesh told PTI on the sideline of an event at the Indian House.
“So, Sreejesh was there yesterday, but someone else will come and take his place tomorrow,” he added. Sreejesh, who has been offered to take up a mentoring role in the Indian junior team setup, said that all these years his life had revolved around hockey and now that he has retired, he doesn’t know what he will do.
“It’s like missing my life. I don’t know anything other than hockey. From the first day I went to the camp in 2002 until now, I’ve been with them. I don’t know what all I will miss; maybe when I’m home, I will figure out. From morning, I’m out with them — training, gym, on the field — there is always a fun atmosphere. Pep talk, team meetings, you have to shout at them, even abuse them.
“The celebration days after a win or crying together after a loss, it’s been my life. Maybe, we don’t know what it’s like to be outside,” he said. India produced their best performance here when they defeated Great Britain 4-2 in the last-eight despite being reduced to 10 players in the second quarter.
They, however, went on to lose to the world champions and eventual silver medallists Germany 2-3 in the semifinal to fight for the bronze medal. “Yes it was a bit disappointing to lose to Germany in the semifinal, but at least we are returning with a medal that’s a big thing,” he said.
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