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PR Sreejesh

Overview

Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh, popularly known as PR Sreejesh, is a former Indian field hockey goalkeeper from Kerala who served as one of the most prominent custodians of the Indian national team. He played a central role in India's resurgence in international hockey during the 2010s and early 2020s, captaining the national side and contributing to the team's bronze-medal finishes at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He retired from international hockey after the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Key facts

Full name Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh
Born 8 May 1986
Place of birth Kizhakkambalam, Ernakulam district, Kerala
Sport Field hockey
Position Goalkeeper
National team India
International debut 2006
Olympic medals Bronze – Tokyo 2020; Bronze – Paris 2024
Major honours Padma Shri (2017), Arjuna Award (2015), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021)
Profession Employed with the Indian Railways during his playing career
Retirement 2024 (international hockey)

Background and early life

Sreejesh was born on 8 May 1986 in Kizhakkambalam, a village near Kochi in Kerala's Ernakulam district, into a farming family. He initially trained in athletics and other sports before turning to hockey at the GV Raja Sports School in Thiruvananthapuram, where he chose goalkeeping. His early coaching at the state level laid the foundation for his selection into national age-group teams.

Career

Junior career

Sreejesh represented India at the junior level in the mid-2000s, gaining recognition as a promising goalkeeper before his senior call-up. He was part of the Indian team that won the Junior Asia Cup in 2004.

Senior international career

He made his senior debut for India in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Colombo. Over the following years he became the team's first-choice goalkeeper. Notable performances include his decisive saves in the penalty shootout that won India the 2014 Asian Games gold medal in Incheon, securing direct qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sreejesh captained the Indian senior men's team during the second half of the 2010s, including at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was a key figure in India's Champions Trophy silver medal in 2016 and the team's title-winning campaign at the Asia Cup in 2017 in Dhaka.

Olympic medals

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021), Sreejesh played a pivotal role in India winning the men's hockey bronze medal — India's first Olympic medal in field hockey in 41 years, since the gold at Moscow 1980. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, he again featured prominently as India retained the bronze medal, after which he announced his retirement from international hockey.

Domestic and league hockey

Sreejesh played in the Hockey India League for franchises including the Uttar Pradesh Wizards. In domestic competition he represented Kerala and the Indian Railways.

Timeline

  • 1986 – Born in Kizhakkambalam, Kerala.
  • 2004 – Part of the India team that won the Junior Asia Cup.
  • 2006 – Senior international debut at the South Asian Games.
  • 2014 – Helped India win gold at the Incheon Asian Games.
  • 2015 – Conferred the Arjuna Award.
  • 2016 – Captained India at the Rio Olympics; Champions Trophy silver.
  • 2017 – Awarded the Padma Shri; Asia Cup title in Dhaka.
  • 2021 – Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020; awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna.
  • 2024 – Olympic bronze at Paris; retirement from international hockey.

Awards and honours

  • Arjuna Award (2015)
  • Padma Shri (2017)
  • Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2021)
  • FIH Goalkeeper of the Year (2021)

Significance

Sreejesh is regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers Indian hockey has produced and a central figure in the sport's revival in India. His longevity at the highest level across nearly two decades, his role in ending India's four-decade Olympic medal drought in hockey, and his leadership made him a recognisable face of Indian sport beyond hockey's traditional fan base. He has also been associated with grassroots coaching initiatives in Kerala after stepping back from playing.

Personal life

Sreejesh is married to Aneeshya and the couple have two children. He has been employed with the Indian Railways, a common pathway for elite Indian hockey players.

References

  • International Hockey Federation (FIH) player profiles and tournament archives.
  • Hockey India official records of the men's national team.
  • Government of India announcements on the Padma Awards and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
  • Reports of the Indian Olympic Association on the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic campaigns.