Having spent a large part of his life in the goalkeeper’s cage, wearing the heavy armour, PR Sreejesh is no stranger to criticism. The veteran custodian understands that regardless of the number of vital match-saving, or even match-winning, interventions he makes, a handful of perceived mistakes will always be highlighted and talked about. And he has made peace with this occupational hazard.
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Lest one has forgotten, it was his save off a German penalty corner, seemingly destined to be the equaliser, in the dying seconds of the third-place playoff that won India its first Olympic hockey medal in 41 years at Tokyo 2021.
But it was the same Sreejesh who had to cop some flak for letting in a few soft goals in the 0-7 thrashing against Australia in the Commonwealth Games final earlier this year when it was the entire defensive set-up that caved in against the relentless onslaught.
“I have been a goalkeeper for more than 20 years now, and have gotten used to criticism. I now take it in my stride and try to learn from it, if I can,” Sreejesh told The Indian Express.
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Indian hockey had been on a bit of a high after the podium finish in Tokyo, but Australia still seems a tough nut to crack, especially in big games. The debacle in the gold-medal match in Birmingham wasn’t the first such lopsided scoreline against them.
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“We know that Australia are a very aggressive side and will take advantage of every little mistake we commit, and we made a few that day. But we must also remember that we played well during parts of that final,” Sreejesh said.
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Now well into his 35th year, there are hardly any signs of Sreejesh slowing down, be it fitness-wise or in his enthusiasm for the game. A lot of athletes would be delighted to sign off with an Olympic medal, but the Kerala stalwart is already eyeing newer horizons.
“We won the bronze medal at the Olympics, but bronze ke upar silver hota hai, or silver ke upar gold hota hai (there’s silver and gold above bronze),” he stressed, without hiding his ambition to possibly target Paris 2024. “There’s a lot still to achieve.”
That’s why the next few months assume such significance for Sreejesh, and the Indian team in general. The FIH Pro League campaign starts in Bhubaneswar on Friday with matches against New Zealand and Spain. Then there is a trip Down Under to face bête noire Australia, in preparation for the World Cup being hosted in India at the start of next year.
“The matches leading up to the World Cup will be used as preparation for the big event. We will try out various combinations and tactics in these games. We will be playing in front of our home crowds. Hence, we are determined to give our best and don’t want to leave anything to chance,” he said.
A World Cup medal alongside the Olympic bronze will look nice in the Sreejesh trophy cabinet.
Ready for a fresh campaign
Despite advancing in years, there’s no shortage of enthusiasm and motivation in Sreejesh when a new hockey season approaches, though he is realistic enough to understand that he needs to work harder now than when he was younger to stay in optimum shape. As of now, he has not thought about the finish line of his hockey career.
“When one is born, one doesn’t know when one will die. In the same way, one doesn’t realise how long one will play. The thrill, privilege and honour of putting on the India shirt is the biggest motivation for me to keep working hard,” he said.
With only 2️⃣ days left before the start of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23, César Hernández, the manager of the Spanish hockey team, handed the trophy over to Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey at the Kalinga Stadium. pic.twitter.com/a8J9aAJY2h
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“I know that at my age, I need to take more care of my fitness, nutrition and other aspects to stay on top. How I prepare myself and train has also undergone a change as I have grown older. Recent technological innovations have also been used in this endeavour.”
Now a senior statesman in the team, Sreejesh has seen more than one generation of players come into the side over the years. The team that climbed the podium at Tokyo was an amalgam of youth and experience. As a former skipper and an experienced player, he has a big role to play in the development of youngsters.
“We have a talented bunch coming through. My job will be to share my experience to ensure they adjust to international hockey as quickly as possible,” the goalkeeper says.
Abhishek is a young forward coming through while S Karthi and Sukhjeet Singh have the opportunity to put in impressive performances in the Pro League to throw their hats in the ring as far as World Cup spots are concerned. Midfielder Mohammed Raheel represented India at the FIH 5s tournament in Lausanne, where he was the highest goal-scorer and Player of the Tournament. He gets his first call-up to the national 11-a-side squad.
And what about India’s future in goal?
There has been some concern over Sreejesh’s long-term successor once he hangs up his stick for good. There is still a gap in quality between him and the next best custodian in the country, but the man himself isn’t too concerned.
“(Krishna Bahadur) Pathak has been in the squad for a long time now and has been making good progress. It’s not advisable to throw youngsters in big matches before they are ready with sufficient experience. I am not going anywhere for the time being, but there’s no reason to worry in the long term either,” the veteran signed off.
