The legendary custodian received a form of send-off, each on and off the sector, that each sports activities particular person goals of. He marked his farewell recreation with an Olympic medal and on Wednesday was felicitated in a manner that no Indian hockey participant has ever been earlier than.
Hockey India put up a present, christening Sreejesh because the ‘God of contemporary Indian hockey’, in a glittering ceremony. However the 36-year-old custodian put the magician Dhyan Chand and Dhanraj Pillay on that pedestal whereas talking in an interactive session throughout the occasion.
“We all the time discuss concerning the 4-4-Four that Dhanraj bhai, we name him ‘anna’, has. He has performed 4 Olympics, 4 World Cups, 4 Asian Video games,” stated Sreejesh concerning the former India captain and striker, who has additionally performed in 4 Champions Trophy editions.
Sreejesh, who had the honour of main India on the 2016 Rio Olympics, lamented that his glittering profession, which additionally consists of two Asian Video games gold and two Champions Trophy silver medals, would not have a World Cup trophy or podium end to point out.
“World cup miss ho gaya,” he was fast to appropriate whereas reacting to a query from the gallery about his emotions to have been a part of a successful crew in any respect main world occasions.
“I performed 4 World Cups, three of which had been in India, however sadly we could not win the trophy or a medal,” stated Sreejesh, who was accompanied by his spouse, two youngsters and oldsters on the event moreover your complete Indian squad of the Paris Olympics.
“I hope we are able to do this in 2026 and I’ll give (captain) Harmanpreet a jersey of mine to carry it after they go on the rostrum on the subsequent World Cup,” stated.
In the meantime, Hockey India secretary common, Bhola Nath Singh, introduced that the federation has determined to retire Sreejesh’s No. 16 jersey in honour of his contribution to Indian hockey. “It (quantity 16) is retired for the senior Indian crew however can be accessible within the junior crew to encourage the subsequent era of gamers,” stated Singh.
The federation additionally determined to nominate Sreejesh as the top coach of India’s junior males’s hockey crew.
“He had advised me about 5-6 months in the past about his choice to retire after the Paris Olympics,” stated Singh. “Whereas we respect that, now we have appointed him because the coach of the junior crew and he has accepted it.”
