Indian men's hockey: Legend PR Sreejesh's number 16 jersey retired
Hockey India announced the retirement of the No. 16 jersey, previously worn by legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. This decision comes after Sreejesh's retirement. Notably, Sreejesh made a vital contribution to India's back-to-back Olympic bronze medals at the recent 2024 Paris Olympics. The jersey will no longer be used by the senior national team, a tribute to Sreejesh's nearly two-decade-long career in international hockey. Here are further details.
Sreejesh to coach junior national team
In addition to retiring his jersey, Hockey India has also appointed Sreejesh as the coach of the junior national team. Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General of Hockey India, confirmed this during a ceremony honoring the veteran goalkeeper. He stated that "Sreejesh will groom the next Sreejesh in the junior team, who will wear the No. 16 jersey," indicating that it will remain available for junior players.
Players pay tribute to Sreejesh at ceremony
The players present at the ceremony honoring Sreejesh wore identical red jerseys with his name on the back, as a mark of respect. This gesture was part of a touching tribute to the veteran goalkeeper from Kerala. The event also saw Sreejesh being awarded a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh by Hockey India, in recognition of his invaluable contributions to Indian hockey.
Sreejesh's future plans as a coach
Sreejesh has outlined an eight-year plan for himself before considering a role as the national team coach. He expressed his ambition to lead India as a coach in the 2036 Olympics. "I want to become a coach. That was always my plan but now there is a question of when," Sreejesh told PTI. He also mentioned that he would start with the juniors, citing Rahul Dravid as an example of successful transition from player to mentor.
Indian men's hockey team won bronze at 2024 Paris Olympics
The Indian men's hockey team finished its hard-fought journey with a smile at the 2024 Paris Olympics. India, who were beaten 3-2 in the semis by Germany, produced a stunning display against Spain in the bronze medal match. Harmanpreet Singh's two goals meant India won the contest by a 2-1 margin after having earlier gone down.
Sreejesh retires on a high
Sreejesh finished his career with two bronze medal at the Olympics (2020 and 2024). He also led India to the quarter-finals at the 2016 Olympics. Sreejesh is also a three-time Asian Games medalist (2 golds, 1 bronze) and a two-time Commonwealth Games silver medalist. He won five Asian Champions Trophy medals, one Asia Cup medal and two Champions Trophy medals. He had a long career and played 336 matches for India.
