EXCLUSIVE/ 'I was going through trauma': PR Sreejesh Recalls Tough Phase When He Almost Quit Hockey

PR Sreejesh, the evergreen goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team, has culminated his career on a high. The Bronze medal match between India and Spain at the Paris Olympics was Sreejesh's last dance in the national outfit. It turned out to be a fairytale farewell for him as India won the match and secured a Bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

Upon returning home, Sreejesh has been greeted with immense respect and his jersey number 16 will go down as hall of fame and has been retired by Hockey India. During one of the celebratory ceremonies, Republic's special correspondent Rakshita Misra caught up with him and had an exclusive chat. Sreejesh addressed all the queries and was quite expressive with his answers. 

Without any further ado, here are all the excerpts from the conversation.

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Has The Feeling of Retirement Sunken Yet?

Not yet! I never thought about what would happen before, nor do I imagine what the future holds. I just live in the moment. Being around these players and teammates makes it feel like I'm not retired. However, I know it will hit me when I go back home and am away from these people.

On His Celebration and Persona

Gratitude! That’s the one word I’ve learned from all the books I’ve read. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me: my goalpost, my equipment, my teammates, Hockey India, the entire crowd, the fans, and all the hockey lovers. It’s because of them that I am where I am today. I appreciate our rich culture and try to uphold it whenever I travel abroad and see how others preserve their own cultures.

On His Role as a Goalkeeper

In unpredictable situations, things happen, and you have to play the game. As a goalkeeper and the senior-most player, it was my responsibility to lead by example, which I did. Communication is crucial during tough times, and we handled it well. We defended as a team, and my job was to protect the goalpost, which I did effectively. I drew on my experience from the past 20-24 years.

As a potential Coach

I believe I’ll be a tough coach because I have strong ideas about coaching and what it takes for a player to become the best. I already have a vision for the team. Once we come together, we’ll make plans for the young generation and aim to perform better in upcoming tournaments, including the World Cup.

On Most Challenging Phase in Career

I think it was in 2018, during the Asian Games, where we lost in the semifinals and then in the World Cup quarterfinals. That was a tough period for me, I was going through lot of emotional trauma that time , and I considered retiring from hockey. However, after a break, I spent quality time with my family and spoke with many seniors who advised me that it wasn’t the right time to quit. That break helped me bounce back, accept things, and see where I am now.

On His Legacy

I just want to be remembered as a kind and smiling person. In terms of hockey, I would love to hear players say they aspire to be the next Sreejesh. That would mean I’ve inspired the next generation.