He had just saved the fourth shootout attempt from Great Britain, and it was a spectacular effort, to say the least. Just then, his reaction said it all. Half-crouched on the turf, PR Sreejesh was roaring. And with him, India. He knew his last dance had turned memorable, and the emotions had all spilled out. He was a step away from a second Olympic medal, and a fitting end to a glittering career.
Imagine a team playing with 10 men for almost 45 minutes of the match. What does that do to a goalkeeper who knows his team is lacking in legs, and that for the next three quarters, he will have to save everything that comes his way? For some, it would have been enough to deflate them. Add to it the pressure of an Olympic quarterfinal. For Sreejesh, however, it charged him up. He converted his area into a fortress and was the general officer in command making sure the enemy did not get an opening. Britain did everything but beat Sreejesh. It was individual brilliance of a very different kind. And yet, with Sreejesh, it had been routine over his two-decade-long career.
Maybe that’s why I was delighted on hearing that Sreejesh has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan. For one of our best ever, it is a much-deserved honour. The second hockey player after Dhyan Chand to be bestowed the Padma Bhushan, it is a fitting tribute to a legend of Indian sport.
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While posing for photos with the Indian media at the end of the bronze medal-winning match, Sreejesh said one simple thing. “Proud to be able to do it for India.” That’s how he is. Loves to stay rooted and humble. Only when an opponent invaded his turf did Sreejesh turn hostile. Tell him this, and he will smile. Perhaps even say something hugely funny. But yes, he has done his job for India. To perfection. One of the greatest to play his sport and one of the finest to play sport for India.
He is someone I consider a close friend, and will always have fond memories of. On my birthday, he was in Kolkata for the Trailblazers Conclave. His sessions had finished on March 7, and he was on an early morning flight back on the 8th. At 4:15am, he sent a message asking if I was up. I was because I was anxious about how the conclave would shape up. When I messaged him, he requested me to see him in the lobby for a minute. As I went down, I saw Sree waiting with a signed jersey. My birthday present.
Thanks, Sree, for all the memories and congratulations on the Padma Bhushan! You deserve every honour that comes your way, and it is testimony to all the hard work you have put in for India in the last two decades. What the honour will also do is inspire the next generation. As coach of the junior team, you are the benchmark, and the award couldn’t have come at a better time.
Also Read: Hockey India congratulates PR Sreejesh on being conferred with the Padma Bhushan