New Delhi, Jul 22 (IANS): India men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh said they will be dedicating upcoming Paris Olympics campaign to veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who announced that the quadrennial event would be his last international tournament, adding that the tagline for the same is 'Win it for Sreejesh'.
A veteran of 328 International caps since his debut in 2006, Sreejesh will be playing his fourth Olympic Games through the upcoming quadrennial event in Paris, also marking his final international tournament for India.
Sreejesh has been part of various memorable wins for India, which includes Gold in 2014 Asian Games, Bronze medal in 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta-Palembang, joint winning team of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, Gold medal winning team of 2019 FIH Men's Series Finals in Bhubaneswar and Silver medal winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
"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 and he has shaped each one of our careers in his own way. We want to 'Win it for Sreejesh' and we are all the more encouraged to stand on the podium once again," said Harmanpreet in a Hockey India statement.
Sreejesh was one of the main architects of India's historic bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He was instrumental in India’s third-place finish at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22. Last year, he stood tall in India’s Gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games that sealed the team’s berth for Paris 2024.
Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 and is only the second sportsperson from India to win the award of World Games Athlete of the Year 2021. He has also won back-to-back FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
"As I prepare for my last dance in Paris, I look back with immense pride and forward with hope. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am forever grateful for the love and support from my family, teammates, coaches, fans and Hockey India. Thank you for believing in me.
"My teammates have stood beside through the tough and the ardent times. We all want to give our absolute best here in Paris and certainly, the desire is to change the colour of our medal," said Sreejesh.
Dilip Tirkey, the former international player currently serving as Hockey India president, paid a rich tribute to Sreejesh. "Sreejesh was hardly 18 or 19-years-old when I first saw him in the Indian camp and if I recall right, he made his international debut when I was Captaining the Indian team. He is a very special player and my heart fills with joy and gratitude for his exemplary contribution to Indian hockey.
"This outing in Paris will certainly be a special one for the team and I believe Sreejesh's decision will only encourage the team further to stand on the podium yet again and make it truly special not just for Sreejesh but for the entire hockey fraternity. I wish him and the team the very best."
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said, "Sreejesh is a legend, an inspiration to the entire nation and I congratulate him on a fantastic career studded with several laurels that has brought honour and pride to the nation.
"Hockey India respects his decision to retire after the Paris Olympic Games, making this a truly special tournament not just for the team but also for Indian hockey fans. I wish him and the team the best in their campaign."