`Delighted to have grabbed my chances’

T.N. RAGHU

P.R. Sreejesh was a jack of many trades in his younger days. He threw the discus and smashed the ball on a volleyball court before taking up hockey.

It took time for him to zero in on his true calling because hockey lacked the appeal of athletics, football and volleyball in Kerala, his native state.

Despite not having grown up with a hockey stick, Sreejesh bloomed into a redoubtable custodian in quick time.

The 23-year-old was the toast of the nation at the Asian Champions Trophy final in Ordos, China, on Sunday, making two brilliant saves in the penalty shootout against Pakistan to help India nail gold.

No wonder, Sreejesh is the man of the moment because he was the catalyst for his team’s ascent to the top.

After all, reading some good news about hockey in the game’s spiritual home in recent years is as tough as spotting a polar bear on the streets of New Delhi.
Sreejesh was full of energy and enthusiasm when this paper called him up on Tuesday morning.

Even though the team had returned only a few hours earlier after an arduous trip from Ordos, which is located near China’s border with Mongolia, the chirpy goalie spoke with the excitement of a child on the roller coaster.

Sreejesh, working as an officer with Indian Overseas Bank in Chennai, nearly missed the flight to Ordos. He had just made a comeback to the national camp after nursing an injury.

Seniors Adrian D’Souza and Bharat Chhetri were above him in the pecking order. Sreejesh sealed a place on the squad after the last-minute exclusion of Adrian.

Luck and pluck invariably go hand in hand. And so it proved in Ordos where chief coach Michael Nobbs decided to deploy his goalkeepers, Chhetri and Sreejesh, alternately through the tournament.

Minutes after India’s place in the final was confirmed, Nobbs broke the news to Sreejesh that he would pad up for the big clash. It was the Chennai player’s turn, too.

Even though Chhetri had done well at Ordos, Nobbs chose the younger goalie because he might, probably, have been told about the exploits of Sreejesh against Pakistan in the 2010 World Cup.

The Australian’s judgement didn’t come back to haunt him as Sreejesh rose to the occasion with a sterling show.

“I’m delighted that I grabbed my chances.

Beating Pakistan in the final was memorable. It is one of the highlights of my career.

“You can never take out passion out of the equation from a match against Pakistan.

“During the camp at Bengaluru, Nobbs would always tell me that I had scope for improvement. I felt great when he congratulated me at Ordos on a good show,” Sreejesh said.

In the thankless world of goalkeeping, a shootout is the only sure-shot route to stardom.

“I was aware that I could enhance my reputation through the shootout.

“But winning the gold for the country was the main goal.

“Having thwarted seven Pakistan penalty corners in regulation time, I was full of confidence before the tiebreaker.

“I was in my zone, but I still had to be wary. In the end, everything fell in place,” he said, adding that Nobbs’ training on the new eight-second penalty routine at the camp helped him calm his nerves.
Sreejesh added Nobbs had given the team the freedom to express themselves.

“He has asked the outfield players to stick to their natural Indian style.

‘Don’t hesitate to dodge but never lose the ball’ is his mantra.

“We have an exciting crop of young players. If we continue in the same vein, qualifying for the Olympics will not be a major hurdle,” he added.

The effervescent Kerala player’s only regret during an, otherwise, unforgettable tournament was missing Onam, which was celebrated on September 9.

“I certainly missed the lavish Onam spread my mother whips up at home. I had to make do with noodles,” he laughed.

“But I have no complaints now because I have the gold.”