Fuel The Olympic Fire: What is PR Sreejesh's diet and how did he keep himself hydrated during Tokyo 2020?
The goalkeeper loves to have caffeine to keep himself sharp during the match
PR Sreejesh was one of the finest performers of the Indian hockey team that clinched bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He stood like a rock under the sticks and played a crucial part in guiding India to a podium finish in the Olympics after 41 years.
He made 40 saves during the tournament but the penalty corner save at the death against Germany in the bronze medal playoff match stood out. He even stated that it 'might be the most important save of his career as it helped him to win an Olympic medal.'
But it was a tough task for him to tackle the Tokyo heat. The temperatures kept hovering around the 35-40 degree centigrade and to keep oneself hydrated was a challenge.
"Before sleeping, I used to drink a lot of water. Also, you have to run intelligently. But for us, it was easier to acclimatise to that weather," he mentioned to Olympics.com.
What were PR Sreejesh's diet and matchday routine in Tokyo?
Sreejesh is an early riser as he has to report to breakfast at seven in the morning. For breakfast, it is usually muesli, fruits, and eggs for him. But before that, he has his yoga session which helps him to get into the groove for training after breakfast.
For lunch, he would go for some protein, mostly non-veg, be it chicken, mutton or fish. He also likes to have a bowl of curd and along with it one chapati or a bit of rice. Whereas for dinner, it is only protein, mostly chicken and veggies.
Things did not change much in Tokyo as India had to play early morning matches and the training bit was replaced by live action.
"In Tokyo, we were playing at 9:30 -10 o'clock in the morning. So I just took more protein than carbs so that I remain sharp on the field. I take coffee a lot as well. The caffeine keeps me going. Moreover, the activation session is very important as it makes sure that you are ready to fire," he stated.
During the activation session, a player focuses on light freehand exercises before moving on to the more intense activities.
What is PR Sreejesh's favourite cheat meal?
Sreejesh loves to eat biriyani and he makes it a point to have it at least once a week.
"While training you can eat anything. You train and you sweat it out. So once a week I would have that. There's one favourite place in Bengaluru and I go there. After the Olympics, I have had biriyani a couple of times," he stated.