File photo of PR Sreejesh© AFP

Indian midfielder Shamsher Singh, who is currently co-captaining Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League that India’s bronze medal at the Paris Olympics was farewell gift to the legendary PR Sreejesh. With their third-place finish in the Paris Olympics, the Harmanpreet Singh-led men’s team proved that the historic bronze in the Tokyo Games three years ago was not a flash in the pan. The Indian team, who was having a flawless campaign in the group stage with only loss, faced a shocking defeat against Germany in the semi-finals.

However, the Indians showed their true mettle and bounced back in the third place against Spain and clinched the bronze medal.

The medal ensured the legendary PR Sreejesh, one of the team’s biggest pillars for nearly two decades, got the send-off he deserved after he decided to retire from the sport.

“His absence will always be felt but the important factor is that who will be replacing him. We have faith in Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera, who have replaced Sreejesh in our team. Both the players have shared field with Sreejesh and our very experienced, so, that’s a good thing for our team.

Shamsher is currently leading Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League in Rourkela, Odisha. On his role as a captain, Shamsher said that it’s a new experience but a great opportunity as a player.

“My game style is same but the responsibility is different. Every player in the team contributes equally but as a captain, you need to take a step further. This is the first time that I am leading any team and I am honoured that Delhi SG Pipers showed trust in me,” he said.

“My main role as the captain is to create a comfortable environment for both foreign and domestic players. We need to find a perfect balance, in order to find out the strengths of all our players,” he added.

Currently, Delhi SG Pipers have played four matches in the ongoing HIL and have lost three matches and placed at the bottom of the points table. Their only win came against Team Gonasika in the opening match, where they won 4-2 in the shootout.

Delhi SG Pipers will now be squaring off against UP Rudras on January 11.

Delhi SG Pipers, the SG Sports, Media and Entertainment backed franchise of the upcoming Hockey India League, congratulated its Director of Hockey and Team Mentor PR Sreejesh on winning the prestigious FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award at the FIH (Hockey) Stars Awards. Double Olympic medallist Sreejesh prevailed over Netherlands’ Pirmin Blaak, Luis Calzado of Spain, Jean-Paul Danneberg of Germany and Argentina’s Tomas Santiago to bag the top honour. The 36-year-old Sreejesh retired from the game after winning a second consecutive Olympic bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this year following a stellar 18-year-old career during which he made 366 appearances for India. 

Besides the two Olympic medals, Sreejesh has won two gold and one bronze medal at the Asian Games, two Champions Trophy silvers, two Commonwealth Games silver medals, an Asia Cup silver, four Asian Champions Trophy gold and silver medals among others.

Sreejesh was also the captain of the national team and led India to the quarterfinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Sreejesh, nicknamed as “The Wall of Indian Hockey”, played vital roles in India’s bronze medal-winning feats at Tokyo and Paris Olympics with his performances under the post. 

It is Sreejesh’s third FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award having achieved the recognition back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. He is also the recipient of the country’s prestigious honours including the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the Arjuna Award and the World Games Athlete of the Year recognition in 2022.

Congratulating Sreejesh on the achievement and his phenomenal career, Delhi SG Pipers Head Coach Graham Reid said, “The Delhi Pipers family extend its heartfelt congratulations to Sreejesh on being awarded the prestigious FIH Goalkeeper of the Year. Over the years, I have had the privilege of coaching several exceptional athletes, but Sreejesh stands out as a true champion who transcends the game of hockey and the era in which he played.

“Sreejesh’s remarkable ability to adapt and transform his game in response to evolving styles and strategies has solidified his status as one of the best goalkeepers in modern hockey. His dedication, skill, and sportsmanship have not only inspired his teammates but have also left an indelible mark on the sport itself.

“On behalf of all members of the Delhi Pipers, we celebrate this significant achievement and look forward to witnessing Sreejesh’s continued success on and off the field. His commitment to excellence serves as a beacon for aspiring athletes everywhere,” the Australian added.

Sreejesh was undoubtedly delighted with the recognition and said this award will inspire the next generation of Indian goalkeepers. 

“This award is a recognition to all my achievements and is a crowning moment for me as a player. It is going to be an inspiration for the next generation, players who played alongside me and junior team goalkeepers who are now working with me. I hope this award can be an inspiration for them. It’s a great honour and I am so happy,” PR Sreejesh said after winning the award. 

“You can’t expect more than this, this is the best thing that happened to me.”

Retired Indian hockey star P R Sreejesh has shared a letter that he received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently in which the leader has lauded the former goalkeeper for his service to the game and expressed confidence in his ability to be “impactful” as the new national junior coach. Sreejesh called time on his illustrious 15-year career after India’s bronze-winning Paris Olympic campaign, which was the his and the team’s second successive Games medal after the bronze in Tokyo.

Known as ‘The Wall’ for his impeccable skills in front of the goalpost, Sreejesh was instrumental in guiding the team through remarkable successes, including two Asian Games gold medals, and two Champions Trophy silver medals.

Following his retirement, Hockey India appointed Sreejesh as the head coach of the junior men’s team and he vowed to make India a “powerhouse in hockey”.

Confident of Sreejesh’s impact as junior team coach, PM Modi wrote: “I am sure your work in the new role will be as impactful and inspirational.” “As you call it a day on your playing career, I wish to convey my heartfelt appreciation for your monumental contributions to Indian hockey,” Modi wrote in the letter dated August 16.

Sreejesh thanked Modi for his support.

“Received this heart-warming letter from @narendramodi Sir on my retirement. Hockey is my life and I’ll continue to serve the game and work towards making India a power in hockey, the start of which has been made with the 2020, 2024 Olympic medals. Thank You PM Sir for your faith in me,” Sreejesh wrote in X sharing PM Modi’s letter.

On Sreejesh’s illustrious career, Modi recalled the goalkeeper’s heroics in the triumphant Asian Games campaign in 2014. Modi also talked about Sreejesh playing an instrumental role in India’s quarterfinal finish in Rio Olympics and the bronze wins in Tokyo and Paris.

“There are countless such memories that one can recall and one letter would never be sufficient! The Prime Minister also hailed Sreejesh’s humility.

“Various awards, national and international medals that came your way reflect the heights you have achieved. But what has always stood out about you, Sreejesh, is your humility and grace, both on and off the field,” Modi wrote.

“I am confident that your passion, dedication and commitment will help nurture the next generation of world-beaters.

“I want to thank you for your tireless dedication, your remarkable career and for being a source of immense pride for India. Thanks for all the lovely memories and all the best for the future,” he added.

The Indian men’s hockey team will look to press the restart button after a successful Olympic campaign and defend its Asian Champions Trophy title when it open its campaign against hosts China here on Sunday. After bagging back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, India will start as favourites to defend their ACT title against top hockey playing nations of Asia in the form of China, Japan, Pakistan, Korea and Malaysia.

Last year, India won the title at home, making them the only team to bag four titles in the history of the tournament.

Back from a short break after the Paris Olympics, India skipper Harmanpreet Singh is keen on continuing their dominance in the continental championships.

“The Asian Champions Trophy last year gave us the right momentum going into the Asian Games and followed it up with the Olympic Games triumph of standing on the podium yet again. This time too, we want to begin the fresh Olympic cycle by winning this tournament,” Harmanpreet said ahed of their tournament opener.

“While we have 10 members from the Olympic side playing in this tournament, we have a few youngsters trying to make their impact in the team.

“In terms of game point-of-view, our attacking and penalty corners are our forte but we will be looking to play a structured defence, particularly against teams like Japan, Malaysia and Pakistan. This is an important tournament for us in terms of world ranking points and we are ready for the challenge,” he added.

After China, India will take on Japan in their second match on September 9, followed by games against last year’s runners-up Malaysia on September 11, Korea on September 12 and arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14.

The semifinal and final are scheduled for September 16 and 17.

Young India midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad, who has been named as Harmanpreet’s deputy for this tournament, said this would give them a chance to see other teams’ progress ahead of the 2026 Asian Games.

“This tournament is one of the most exciting ones in the Asian Hockey calendar. We will also get to see the progress the Asian teams are making in the new cycle as they will play with a fresh group of players keeping in mind the Asian Games in 2026,” said Vivek, who will replace Hardik Singh as vice-captain.

Vivek is mesmerised by the scenic view and facilities on offer here.

“We arrived here earlier this week and have got good time on the pitch. The weather is suitable for us, but it gets a bit cold in the evening. The facility is incredible and perhaps one of the most beautiful hockey venues in the world.

“The excitement of hosting the first international tournament here is quite evident and we are looking forward to playing quality matches and entertaining the hockey-loving people of this region,” he said. 

After guiding the Indian senior men’s hockey team to a historic second successive bronze medal in the Paris Olympic Games, Craig Fulton, head coach, is now facing a new challenge. He has to drag back his players, who have been celebrating non-stop, to hockey and prepare them for the Asian Champions Trophy starting in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia in China from September 8 to 17. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Fulton shared his thoughts on the Paris campaign, the India team’s performance and the upcoming challenges.

Excerpts:

Q: What is your assessment of the team’s performance in the Paris Olympic Games? The team won a historic bronze medal but that was not the aim at the start as the team could have gone all way. So, how do you see the overall performance?

Fulton: Very successful, from, obviously taking the job with three months before the Asian Games to qualifying and then having just a year to prepare a team for the Olympic Games and then to get to the semifinals and push as hard as we did in the semifinals. It was very, very close to playing in the gold medal match and unfortunately, we couldn’t find that extra goal or two. But we played really, really well. And then, you know, to pick ourselves back up and play a very strong Spanish team and to win the bronze was rewarding.

Of course, we wanted more. It would have been a disaster if we’d finished fourth, you know. So, I thought it was a successful campaign. We did a really good job in the Pool to make the quarterfinals after the first three games. We could have got something out of the Belgium game, which we narrowly lost 2-1, but we played well. And then the reward was after the five-match Test series loss in Australia, to win 3-2 in the last pool game, which was very, very rewarding.

Q: When did you think the team could win a medal? At what stage in the campaign were you confident that, okay, yes, this time we definitely will win a medal?

Fulton: At the beginning of the tournament, we had a good team build-up in Switzerland and we played two games against Holland. And in the second game, we should have won the game. We had a good lead, we were 3-2 up, but we were playing really, really well. And then we had a good game against Great Britain. We won the warm-up game and then we played Germany and we won the warm-up game before the tournament. So, I knew we were on track with our preparation leading into the first game. The first game was very difficult just because we hadn’t played New Zealand since the last time India lost in the World Cup quarterfinal. So, that was always a difficult game and I’m glad we played well and deserved to win that game.

So I would say before the tournament, we were tracking really well. The first three games got us into the quarterfinal because we had seven points and then we had a free go against Belgium. And then even when we played Belgium, I knew we were on track because we should have drawn that game. We should never have lost that game. At the same time, we had chances, but we’re playing well. We were pressing well. We’re moving the ball well. And then against Australia, everything came together. And to have Belgium and Australia as a warm-up to your quarterfinal, there was no better. There was no better test than that.

Q: Would you consider the win against Australia as one of the best performances since you have seen them?

Fulton: Yeah, well, I think the first game that India played in Tokyo was against Australia and I think they lost 7-1. So, they have come full circle and then beat them and it’s pretty much the same Australian team. There’s been a big movement from an Indian perspective and that was very rewarding.

Is it the best game? It was. I think the best game was, from a results point of view, the one against Great Britain in the quarterfinal, because of what was at stake. But the overall performance and the result of the Australian game was fantastic. it was right up there.

Q: Who among these players would you pick as the best performers in Paris?

Fulton: It’s a full squad effort. You can’t deny that. Harmanpreet Singh scored 10 goals, but he didn’t win all the PCs. You know, you need strikers, you need midfielders, you need Sreejesh, you need everyone. So I don’t like that in a sense, because you make a team sport, an individual sport, and it’s not. And then you have a massive work ethic with the staff behind the scenes that prepares everything from the conditioning to the technical to the tactical to the planning.

So, it’s a massive team effort. You know, Harman wouldn’t have scored those 10 goals if it wasn’t for the team in front of him. But no one can do what Harman does, you know, because he is the best drag-flicker in the world. So at that stage, yeah, it looked like it was his performance. It’s nice that he’s playing for our Indian team and not anyone else.

Q: The team will now be participating in the Asian Champions Trophy (in China from September 8) without Sreejesh there. How difficult is this task to, you know, fill in the shoes of somebody like him? What is your overall assessment of the preparation for the Asian Champions Trophy?

Fulton: To fill Sreejesh’s shoes is going to take an immense effort. I mean, Pathak (Krishan Bahadur Pathak) and Suraj (Suraj Karkera) will be the keepers going to the ACT. So, it’s nice for Pathak to play as the number one (goalkeeper). It’s been obviously really challenging for him in the last eight years, but also, at the same time, he’s grown and we’ve given him lots of opportunity, especially in the last year. He’s done quarters with Sreejesh, so he’s gained over 100 caps, so he’s really experienced. So it’s a positive place for Pathak.

The preparation is difficult because there’s a tournament a month after the Olympics and the celebrations have gone on for two, or three weeks post-Paris. So, it hasn’t been easy, but the tournament is there and we’re going to defend our title. So yeah, we’re going all in.

Q: How have you enjoyed the celebrations? I’m sure this is not the way they do it in countries where you have been coached earlier or in your own country.

Fulton: I think it’s very unique. I think it’s very special. India shares its love for the team because of how proud they were of the team and how close it came. I’m sure they’re glad we got the bronze. They were obviously wanting more, but they’re proud that the team achieved the bronze, which is awesome. And they share that openly. I think at the same time, not every other country has an Olympic legacy as India does, so they wouldn’t share the same kind of emotions as the Indian hockey public and as the Indian nation does, So, it’s just unique. Very, very unique. And it’s very special. Just when you have a tournament a month after the Olympics, it doesn’t make it easy. That’s the challenge (for the boys now).

Q: The players had a two to three-week break. How did you spend that time?

Fulton: I was home for eight, nine days. I’d been away for quite a bit, obviously, this year, so I really needed to connect with my family and I came back for the meeting with the Prime Minister and that was very special. I’ve been back since Saturday. And then we started training on Monday.

Q: So after Paris, the next major target for the team would be the 2026 World Cup, which is less than two years away. So overall, what are areas that the team would be focusing on in the next one-and-half to two years so that we can have a good World Cup?

Fulton: I haven’t really got that far down. We’ve got a tournament starting on the 8th of next month. So, I’m all focused on doing that properly. We’ve got three blocks. We’ve got this tournament, we’ve got Germany coming in October, and there’ll be an overseas tour in November, December where we’ll probably take some younger players and give them all an opportunity. And then we’ll select a core squad and then we’ll start again. The objective is to get ready for the World Cup, but right now we have to get ready for the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT).

Q: You have rested around five players, including Hardik Singh, Mandeep Singh and Lalit Upadhyay etc. So, how do you see the youngsters coming up? Do you feel that we have enough bench strength or do we need to work on that area also?

Fulton: Well, the next three months, we’re going to be working on building some depth in the squad that we have and giving them the opportunities to play. And then we’ll choose our core squad. But these strikers that have been or these players that have been selected now are good enough. They’ve been training well and I look forward to watching them play.

Q: Overall, what’s your aim in the ACT? Is it building your squad for the bigger tournaments or winning the title?

Fulton: Well, we always go to any tournament to win the title. We ranked No.1 in Asia, so we want to go and defend our title. We have a new-look team, but we’ve come off the back of a good campaign in Paris. That’ll be a nice challenge. But we’ve still got some training left that we need to get through and do well and then prep the team so that it’s ready to play its first game against China.

India hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh on Wednesday said that his side was unlucky to lose to Germany in the Paris Olympics semifinal despite creating several chances but termed the back-to-back bronze winning performance a “huge achievement”. India repeated their 2021 Tokyo Games performance in Paris, defeating Spain to win consecutive bronze medals for the first time in 52 years. The keenly-contested semifinal earlier saw India going down to reigning world champions Germany 2-3 to set up a bronze-medal match with Spain.

“It (semifinal vs Germany) was a very close match. I think we created a lot of chances but you can say we were not lucky that day and some chances were off target,” Harmanpreet told PTI Videos during a felicitation ceremony organised by the Odisha government.

“But I think the bronze medal was very important. It was the last match of the tournament and feeling very happy after winning the match. Our effort was that we should fulfil our dream (of winning gold) but somehow we were unlucky.

“But, still, we had the bronze medal to play for. So, we went into the match with that mindset that we will win. We’ve won back-to-back medals in hockey; it’s a very big thing for us,” he added.

Harmanpreet was left speechless with the reception given to the players, saying the team gets the same affection every time it comes to Odisha.

“And, this time, we are getting all the more affection. Whenever the team comes here, be it to play in a tournament or after winning a medal, it always feels nice… we get a lot of respect,” added Harmanpreet.

On the occasion, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced cash prizes for the members of the team with star player from the state Amit Rohidas getting Rs four crore. India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was given Rs 50 lakh while other players in the squad got Rs 15 lakh each. The support staff got Rs 10 lakh each.

Harmanpreet also thanked the state government for sponsoring hockey.

“It (Odisha) has one of the best facilities in India; good stadia, good grounds and we were getting so much support from the Odisha government. To organise such major tournament and get the crowds to the stadia is a big thing and I on behalf of the team want to thank the state,” he said.

Odisha has become the hub of hockey in the last few years organising several big-ticket competitions for men and women, including World Cups, Asian competitions and Pro League matches among others.

The felicitation ceremony, which was attended by the state’s chief minister, saw a grand welcome being accorded to the players.

First he hated her — for being better than him at school. But as it happens in Bollywood movies, “hate” was followed by love. That’s how the romance between P R Sreejesh and Aneeshya unfolded at the GVN Sports School in Kerala. Eventually, the long jumper reciprocated, and accepted the future national hockey goalkeeper as her soulmate. Sreejesh, who retired from the national team after the Paris Olympics, opened up about his love story during an interaction with PTI editors on Tuesday, speaking candidly about how he fell for Aneeshya. He was already studying at the sports school, located in Kannur, when Aneeshya got admitted in 2001.

“I was a bright student, top of the class. I was a superstar, the teacher’s pet and favourite of everyone. She came and suddenly I see, she was better than me, scoring well in everything. I would score between 35 to 42 out of 50, she was getting 49, straight up 50.

“So I started to hate her; we became enemies and that’s how it was before love blossomed,” he said.

Their love has endured for over two decades, more than 10 of them as a married couple.

If anyone needs proof, they could just glance at Sreejesh’s hockey sticks at the Paris Olympics — her name was etched on a customised stick that the 36-year-old charismatic goalkeeper used at the Games, where his phenomenal 336 international caps career drew to a close with a second successive bronze medal for India.

Aneeshya, who is now an Ayurveda doctor, married Sreejesh in 2013 in an intimate temple ceremony, where only close family and friends were present.

In a recent interaction with PTI Bhasha, she had spoken about her mixed feelings on Sreejesh’s international retirement. While she was happy to get more time with him at home, she said the sports fan in her would miss his towering presence in the Indian goalpost.

Sreejesh revealed that when he started playing hockey, his primary objective was to land a decent job, which was also crucial to convince Aneeshya’s parents that he was a worthy match for her.

“…in Kerala before approaching the girl’s father, you have to be financially secure,” he said.

Needless to say that he won in life, managing to marry the girl he loved before becoming a living legend in the sport he chose to play, much like the fairytale romances that Bollywood churns out every second week.

“When I was a kid, I used to love watching movies, love stories,” he said with a mischievous grin on his face, remembering the time he started living in a sports hostel just to be able to watch films whenever he wanted with his friends.

“That was my intention to join the hostel, not the sports,” he admitted.

‘Don’t want my kids to feel burdened by my legacy’

Sreejesh and Aneeshya have two children — son Sreeansh and daughter Anusree. Their names are also etched on hockey sticks that Sreejesh used alternately in the Olympic Games matches.

“They (the children) are like my eyes, you can’t have a favourite eye. But you have just one heart, so that’s for my wife,” he said.

“In matches, I can rotate sticks and I try to use both the sticks with the names of my son and daughter. My daughter likes pink whereas my son likes blue.

“But in shootouts, you don’t have a choice, you have to use one stick. Similarly, when you are married, you don’t have choice,” he quipped.

“You have to keep everyone happy.” Speaking of happiness, Sreejesh said he never forces his choices on his children and would never want them to feel burdened by his rich legacy either.

“My daughter said she likes swimming, so I sent her for swimming and after seeing (PV) Sindhu, she wanted to become a badminton player. I said you start badminton no problem.

“My son wanted to become Virat Kohli, but now he is not working out at all. He said ‘no dad I can’t sweat’…if they want to pick up something I am more than happy because I don’t want my name to be a burden on their shoulders.

“In India you do have a tendency to compare children with parents. I don’t want to do that,” said the man who was widely considered the heart of the Indian team.

India men’s hockey team in action© AFP

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