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PR Sreejesh won a historic bronze medal with the Indian team at the Tokyo Olympics. Image- Firstpost
Indian Men's Hockey Team's veteran goalkeeper and captain PR Sreejesh has announced his retirement on Monday. He said that Paris Olympics 2024 will be his last international tour.
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“As I stand on the threshold of my final chapter in international hockey, my heart swells with gratitude and reflection. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am forever grateful for the love and support from my family, teammates, coaches, and fans,” Sreejesh wrote on his X account.
Sreejesh won historic bronze with the Indian team in Tokyo
This is 36-year-old PR Sreejesh's fourth Olympics. Under his captaincy, India participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the team finished eighth. He also won a historic bronze medal with the Indian team at the Tokyo Olympics. India then ended its 41-year medal drought in this sport. Sreejesh has played 328 international matches for India. Apart from this, he has also participated in several Commonwealth Games and World Cups.
“The crowning glory, our Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo 2020, was a dream realized. The tears, the joy, the pride – it was all worth it,” Sreejesh said.
Made his India debut in 2006
Sreejesh made his India debut for the Indian team in 2006. He was a member of the team that won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games and the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games. He also has been a member of the joint-winning team of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, the gold medal-winning team of the 2019 FIH Men's Series Final in Bhubaneswar, and the silver medal-winning team of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Sreejesh played a key role in India's third-place finish in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22.
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PR Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 and is only the second player from India to win the ‘World Games Athlete of the Year' 2021 award. He won the FIH ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’ award twice in a row in 2021 and 2022.
PR Sreejesh performed brilliantly in the Asian Games last year, due to which the Indian team was successful in securing the ticket for Paris Olympics 2024 by winning the gold medal.