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