PR Sreejesh

India

Hockey

Olympic Medals

Games Participations4

First Olympic GamesLondon 2012

Year of Birth1988

Social Media

Biography

Three-time Olympian PR Sreejesh has been an integral part of the Indian men’s hockey team for well over a decade.

Ever since making his debut at the 2006 South Asian Games in Sri Lanka, the Indian goalkeeper has been a constant presence in the Indian squad despite the numerous changes in the management.

PR Sreejesh is well-regarded in world hockey for his instincts -- a quality that makes him highly effective in penalty shoot-out situations.

Born into a family of farmers in the Kizhakkambalam village of Ernakulam district in Kerala, PR Sreejesh was never keen on pursuing hockey as a sport.

A young PR Sreejesh was initially drawn to athletics. At the GV Raja Sports School in Thiruvananthapuram, he participated in sprints, long jump and volleyball before his coaches convinced him to take up hockey.

PR Sreejesh’s potential was obvious and his early coaches, Jayakumar and Ramesh Kolappa, made sure it was honed properly.

“They taught me hockey. They showed me how to focus and take my game seriously,” PR Sreejesh said in an interview with Scroll.

“One of the greatest pieces of advice I got was from them. They told me, ‘A goalkeeper is doing a thankless job but he can be the difference between a team winning and losing.’ That perspective helped a lot throughout my career.”

PR Sreejesh’s ability to keep his emotions in check has helped him produce competition-winning performances for India at regular intervals.

A turning point in PR Sreejesh’s career came in 2012. Back from a disastrous campaign at the London Olympics, where the team ended up losing all their matches, the Indian hockey team saw a major overhaul.

With a number of senior players axed, the Indian hockey team management banked on youngsters to lead the challenge in the following Olympic cycle.

This bunch involved the likes of Sardar Singh, Manpreet Singh, VR Raghunath, Birendra Lakara, PR Sreejesh, SV Sunil and Rupinderpal Singh.

The team went on to record some famous wins in the coming years. They ended India’s 16-year-old wait for a continental gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games and then followed it up with a bronze medal at the 2015 FIH Hockey World League Final, their first international medal in 33 years.

At the Rio 2016 Olympics, the team made it to the quarter-finals - a marked improvement from their last Summer Games in London.

In the above-mentioned wins, PR Sreejesh was the star for India as he pulled off some top-quality performances to steer his side out of trouble time and again.

At the 2014 Asian Games, the Indian shot-stopper stood like a wall in the final as he kept Pakistan at bay in the penalty shoot-out.

In the FIH Hockey World League Final medal match against the Netherlands, PR Sreejesh was at his instinctive best as he not only produced a number of jaw-dropping saves in the regulation time but was also at his best in the penalty shoot-out.

PR Sreejesh was also part of the Indian squad which clinched the silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He has also captained the Indian hockey team briefly, including at Rio 2016.

The past few years have seen PR Sreejesh take up the role of a mentor as well. With young ’keepers like Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera showing promise, the senior pro is ensuring that he be their guiding light.

PR Sreejesh was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2015 and the Padma Shri in 2017.