PR Sreejesh : The hockey legend who stood tall in cricket-mad India

The moment India won a bronze medal in hockey at Paris Olympics, the players burst into wild celebrations.

But PR Sreejesh quietly walked to one end of the field and bowed down in front of the goalpost – his home for almost two decades.

He will miss that home, but India will miss him even more. The goalkeeper, who played his last international match on Thursday, leaves an illustrious legacy behind him.

The “Wall of India”, as he is popularly known, played a crucial role in India’s podium finish. His team were up 2-1 and Spain were fighting hard for an equaliser but Sreejesh thwarted their attempts, especially in the dying minutes of the match.

The instincts and the tactful dives he is known for were on full display. His impact on the game can be understood from the fact that the Spaniards earned nine penalty corners, but couldn’t convert any. Sreejesh and his defence team put their bodies on the line to protect their lead until the end.

The former Indian captain can also be credited with bringing India into contention for a medal. The knock-out match against Great Britain went into a penalty shootout and once again it was down to the Wall to protect his team – he did exactly that with two masterful saves.

He was in tears after India lost the semi-final to Germany as he knew the elusive gold medal was out of his grasp, but he quickly turned his attention to the bronze medal match. On Thursday, he was crying again – but this time in joy.

Indians cried with him and social media was flooded with tributes to the man who carried the country’s hopes and dreams for nearly two decades.

India is known to be cricket crazy and players from other sports often don’t get the same attention, fame or money. And for a hockey goalkeeper, it’s even harder to be acknowledged.

“It’s difficult to love a goalkeeper. He is invisible, and is only in the limelight when he makes a blunder. When I was young, I didn’t know who India’s goalkeeper was then,” he told the Indian Express in 2021.

Sreejesh never chased attention or stardom; he just liked to get on with the job. It was this attitude that kept him going despite a bitter-sweet debut.

He had already made waves in the junior circuit with his quick reflexes and ability to judge a ball’s trajectory in nano seconds.

But his debut in the senior team in 2006 at the South Asian Games didn’t go that well. He performed well in the tournament but missed a crucial save in the final against India’s arch-rival Pakistan. The criticism that followed was a steep learning curve for him.

The next few years were tough as he didn’t get a permanent place in the team. Indian hockey also went through a bad phase during this period, with the team failing to even qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

But Sreejesh continued to work hard on his skills and his moment of redemption came in 2011. It was the final of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan was once again the opposing side.

He looked much more self-assured and made two crucial penalty saves to win the game for India.

Sreejesh was thrust into the limelight immediately after the match. He travelled with the team to the London Olympics in 2012 but India ended their campaign without a medal.

Despite the team’s dismal performance, the custodian of the Indian goalpost continued to perform well. His next shining moment came when he was again faced with Pakistan in the 2014 Asian Games final. He saved two penalties to end India’s 16-year gold medal drought at the Games.

But if there is one moment that sums up his character, grit and determination, it has to be the bronze medal match against Holland in the Hockey World League in 2015.

He was badly injured, his thighs were covered in ice packs, his thumb was close to broken and his shoulder was covered in protective surgical tapes. He could barely walk the night before the match.

He joked that he looked like a mummy as he took his position at the goalpost. But behind all the pain and the humour was a resolve to win a medal for India in a major international tournament after more than three decades. His stunning saves in the penalty shootout helped India win the match against a superior team.

His place as a legend in Indian hockey was now cemented. He was soon asked to lead the team at the Rio Olympics. They didn’t win a medal but reached the quarter-final – bettering their performance from London.

But he never let success get to his head, remaining humble and approachable and living his life without the trappings of glamour usually associated with sport stars. This endeared him to his teammates and also Indians at large.

An injury in 2017 threatened to end his career. Defying all odds, he made a comeback after two surgeries and several months of rehabilitation.

But his performance took time to peak and critics said his famed reflexes had slowed down. Younger goalkeepers were also making a claim for his spot. But he stayed away from the noise and continued to work hard.

He was once again ready to end another drought – a 41-year wait for a hockey medal at the Olympics. He helped India win a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with his astute understanding of the game.

He was able to ride through many storms in his career largely due to his upbringing.

Sreejesh was born into a farming family in the southern state of Kerala.

He loved sports but didn’t enjoy running as much. So after trying out other sports and different playing positions in hockey, he chose goalkeeping as it didn’t involve much running.

He did well at the state level and was called for the national trials in Delhi in 2003.

The 15-year-old arrived in the Indian capital after a train journey of more than 48 hours. He spoke little Hindi – the language spoken by most players at the camp.

Staying with mostly Hindi-speaking boys in the hostel, he embraced the challenge and learnt the language – including some pretty colourful words that were often heard during tense matches in later years.

He was selected for the team but didn’t have a good kit to protect himself. His father then sold his cow to raise 10,000 rupees ($119; £93) to pay for the kit.

Life came full circle on Thursday when his father was surrounded by hundreds of people in his house to watch his son win yet another accolade for India in his last match.

For Sreejesh, his two children will now become his priority, along with his new role as the head coach of the Indian junior hockey team.

“It’s time for my kids to start their journey and I’m done, and their life starts,” he told Olympics.com.

When asked about his legacy, he prefers not to talk about his achievements.

“I want people to remember me as a good person who always had a smiling face,” the Hindustan Times quoted him.

“And for the youngsters and kids, when they pad up and step on to the hockey field, they should feel I want to become a keeper like Sreejesh.”