PR Sreejesh is yet to decide on life after hockey, believing 'India has the talent to find a replacement for me'
PR Sreejesh was instrumental in India's bronze medal winning campaigns at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Paris: PR Sreejesh is yet to decide his life after retirement and feels that the country has plenty of talent to take his place under the bat in the Indian men's hockey team in the future. The 36-year-old goalkeeper, who has been a stalwart for India for nearly two decades, had announced that the Paris Olympics 2024 would be his final international tournament. He said goodbye to the game with his head held high as the Men in Blue defeated Spain to win the bronze medal.
Sreejesh was also a part of the Indian team when it won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. “There will be no vacuum. Someone will come in my place, for sure. All games are like that. Sachin Tendulkar was there and now there is Virat Kohli, and tomorrow someone will replace him,” Sreejesh told PTI on the sidelines of an event at Indian House.
“So, Sreejesh was there yesterday, but tomorrow someone will come and take his place,” he added. Sreejesh, who was offered a mentoring role in the Indian junior team setup, said his life revolved around hockey for so many years 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 but hockey. I have been with them since the first day I went to the camp in 2002. I don't know what I'm going to miss; Maybe when I'm home, I'll understand. From morning, I'm with them — training, in the gym, on the field — it's always a fun atmosphere. Pep talks, team meetings, you have to shout at them, even abuse them.
“Celebrating after winning or crying together after losing, this is my life. Maybe, we don't know what it's like to be outside,” he said. Despite being down 10 men in the second quarter, India produced their best performance here, defeating Great Britain 4-2 in the last eight.
They, however, lost 2–3 to world champions and eventual silver medalists Germany in the semi-finals and struggled for the bronze medal. “Yes it was a bit disappointing to lose to Germany in the semi-final, but at least we came back with a medal which is great,” he said.
