‘Should’ve won gold’

Paris Olympics bronze medallist hockey team wear PR Sreejesh’s (in yellow) jersey to honour him in New Delhi yesterday. Pic/PTI

A proud owner of two consecutive Olympic medals, Indian hockey star PR Sreejesh says the bronze claimed in Tokyo three years ago is closer to his heart than the one fetched in Paris as the former was like a mythical tale coming true after decades of merely hearing about it.

The 36-year-old goalkeeper, who bid adieu to his international career at the end of India's Paris campaign, was, in fact, a shade disappointed with the colour of the medal this time as he felt the team should have done better.

"Tokyo for sure because we won an Olympic medal after a long time. Earlier, we used to hear what an Olympic medal means as hockey has a rich history of gold, silver and bronze medals. But it never came in our hands. So when we got it for the first time, that was a moment," Sreejesh told PTI when asked to make the difficult choice here on Tuesday.

"That time we were not sure about winning a medal but this time we were in top six and capable of beating any team. But [in Tokyo] to become a medallist was a dream," he explained the difference.

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41-year wait before Tokyo

India's hockey team had not won an Olympic medal in 41 years when it entered the Tokyo Games.

Cut to Paris, the side were expected to be among the Top 2, which made a laudable third place finish look a bit disappointing and Sreejesh agreed.

"...this time, we had that hope that we are going to be [number] one. I feel it is a big disappointment [not to get a gold], it should have been a gold. The big difference is there [in Tokyo] I was happy but here I was like...," he shrugged, unable to find the right words for his emotions in Paris, where he also ended up being the Indian contingent's flag-bearer in the closing ceremony.

The Paris bronze was India's 13th Olympic medal in hockey. It was also the first time since 1972 that the nation won back-to-back medals in hockey.

The charismatic goalkeeper, who became a unifying force for the team during the campaign, was rock solid in his role throughout and was deservedly given a farewell to remember.

Super send-off

His voice became shaky more than once as he recalled those moments, which included him sitting on the goalpost while his teammates bowed to him and being carried on the shoulders by skipper Harmanpreet Singh at the end of the bronze medal match.

Hockey India retires Sreejesh's No. 16 jersey at senior level; names him junior coach

Hockey India decided to retire the jersey number of goalkeeping stalwart PR Sreejesh at the senior level after he bid adieu to the game following his starring role in the country's second consecutive Olympic bronze at the just-concluded Paris Games.

"Sreejesh is now going to be the junior team coach and we are retiring the No. 16 jersey for the senior team. We are not retiring No. 16 for the junior team," said Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh at a felicitation function for the veteran and other members of the team.

"Sreejesh dusra Sreejesh ko paida karega in junior team [Sreejesh will groom another Sreejesh in the junior team who will wear the No. 16 jersey]," he added.

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