Times of India: PR Sreejesh recalls his hockey graduation

By Tushar Dutt

PUNE: Life came to a full circle for Indian hockey captain Sreejesh PR when he inaugurated an inter-college sports event in the city on Wednesday.

From a 23-year-old rookie to India No.1 goalkeeper, Sreejesh has come a long way since he came to Pune for the first time in 2009.

Sreejesh’s association with the city began when he was selected for the camps that prepared for the 2010 World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Being a No. 4 goalkeeper then, the Kochi boy had three senior goalkeepers — Baljit Singh, Adrian D’Souza and Bharat Chhetri — ahead of him in queue to play for India.

But Sreejesh wasn’t in a hurry.

His first mentor-cum-guide, Baljit met with a freak eye injury in Pune and lost his place in the Indian squad.
“I was lucky to have seniors like Baljit bhai and Adrian who guided me well. After Baljit bhai’s injury Adrian mentored me despite me being his direct competition. We bonded so well that it was fun to train together,” Sreejesh said on Wednesday.

In 2010, he played in two World Cup games, but didn’t get a chance in CWG and Asian Games. His biggest break came in 2011 when he saved two penalty strokes against Pakistan in Asian Champions Trophy final in China.

“I think that win was the turning point of my career. It gave me a lot of confidence for the future,” he said.
A street named after him in Kochi was something beyond his expectations, but Sreejesh got the honour after playing in the London Olympics in 2012. The Games saw India finish last among the 12 teams but Sreejesh’s performance was in complete contrast of his team-mates. Many big names were axed after the Games, including Chhetri. Sreejesh was hailed as India No.1 for the first time.

One of the biggest strengths of the Indian skipper is his happy-go-lucky nature. He cracks jokes, pulls his team-mates’ legs, sometimes even the coaches’ too. His antics not only make him popular in the team, but also lighten everybody’s mood.

He is part of the sport which is known for players forming groups with their state-mates. The best part for the Kerala player was that he is yet to see another Keralite in the Indian team.

“Since beginning I used to mix with everybody. It not only allowed me to understand my teammates better, but also helped me develop on-field chemistry with them. Since the start, I belonged to everyone in the team,” said the first hockey player from his state to get Arjuna award.

After a decent show in Rio, Sreejesh doesn’t have any immediate plans. But the Chief Sports Organiser with the Kerala government’s education department wishes to have more players from his state.

“I am not sure about the future, but I would love to prepare players who can represent my state at national and international level.”