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'Win it for Sreejesh': India captain Harmanpreet Singh gives rallying cry ahead of Paris Olympics
Harmanpreet Singh paid a moving tribute to the retiring PR Sreejesh and gave a rallying call for his team as they look to win a second consecutive Olympic medal
An era will end in Indian hockey after the Paris Olympics, regardless of whether the team wins another medal or not, with longtime goalkeeper and former captain PR Sreejesh announcing that he will retire after the Games. Sreejesh, who made his senior debut in 2006, has been one of he key figures in the Indian team that progressively improved on their performances at the Olympics after failing to qualify in 2008, eventually winning their first Games medal since 1980 in 2021.
Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of the men's team, is one of many players who benefitted from Sreejesh's presence as a mentor in the 2016 Junior World Cup. Sreejesh, recovering from a long-term injury, was in the thick of the campaign as a mentor to the players as India won their second Junior World Cup title. Harmanpreet recalled that and made a rallying cry to the team in Paris to win another Olympic medal for Sreejesh.
“Paris 2024 will indeed be a special tournament. We have decided to dedicate our campaign to the legend PR Sreejesh. He has been an inspiration for all of us and I still remember his mentorship in 2016 Junior World Cup when we lifted the title. It was the beginning of many of our careers in International hockey. We want to ‘Win it for Sreejesh’ and we are all the more encouraged to stand on the podium once again.”
Last dance in Paris
Sreejesh, who has played 328 matches for India, thanked his family, teammates, coaches and fans as he announced his retirement. "As I stand on the threshold of my final chapter in international hockey, my heart swells with gratitude and reflection. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am forever grateful for the love and support from my family, teammates, coaches, and fans," Sreejesh wrote on X.
Sreejesh emerged as the leading figure in the Indian dressing room in the aftermath of India's forgettable campaign at the 2012 London Olympics. India went on to win their first Asian Games gold medal in 16 years in 2014, an Asiad bronze in 2018 and another gold in 2022. Sreejesh has also won two Commonwealth Games silver medals. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was part of the Indian team that broke their over four-decade long medal drought by winning bronze in dramatic fashion.
