“Every time we prepare for the Olympics, it's like starting anew. It's a new experience all over again,” Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh had told The Quint ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024.
While his words reflect the ever-changing nature of each Olympic campaign, one constant in Indian hockey remains: the steadfast presence and the magical consistency of PR Sreejesh—the bulwark of the team over the years.
As India prepared to face Great Britain in the quarterfinals, the 36-year-old contemplated if this match would be his swan song or if two more games awaited before he hung up his gloves. Little did he know, without his heroics, the men in blue wouldn't have triumphed over the British.
With the score deadlocked at 1-1 after regulation, Great Britain launched unabating assaults, yet they could never penetrate the iron wall that was Sreejesh. In what was a “do-or-die” situation for him, the focal point of the game, Sreejesh delivered incredible saves, thwarting the British and propelling his team to a 4-2 victory in the penalty shoot-out at Paris' Yves du Manoir Stadium.
“See when I stepped on this field today. There were two options for me. This could be my last match, or I get an opportunity for two more matches. And I think yeah, I got two more matches,” he would tell the broadcasters after the match against Great Britain.
This marked the 23rd time Sreejesh stood guard in a shoot-out for India, and out of those 23 nerve-wracking occasions, 13 times he has been the hero who bailed India out and led the team to victory.
Rewind to the previous match, and Sreejesh’s brilliance was equally evident during India’s historic triumph over the Kookaburras—breaking a 52-year drought. While skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted a short corner and a penalty corner after Abhishek's opening goal in the 12th minute, it was Sreejesh’s resolute defense that kept the Australians at bay, ensuring India maintained their lead without facing an early deficit.
For the first time since Munich 1972, India have secured back-to-back semi final spots in men’s hockey at the Olympics. In Tokyo 2020, too, it was Sreejesh who sparked India’s podium quest, delivering a cardinal performance against Germany that earned the Indian side a bronze medal—ending a three-decade drought.
Now, as India faces a fresh challenge in Paris, the team will contend with the absence of defender Amit Rohidas, who is serving a one-match ban following a red card in the quarterfinals. Consequently, India will have to navigate the semifinals without one of their key defenders.
Despite this setback, India’s defensive wall is poised to rise to the occasion. As Sreejesh puts it, "See, whoever comes in the semis, we will just play our game. That's it, that's important, because now it's a different game, because we are one man down and we need to focus on that now."
For Sreejesh, whose journey began in 2006, the arc of his career has spanned the gamut of experiences—from the sting of finishing last at the 2012 London Olympics to the gleeful moment of winning an Olympic hockey medal for the first time in 41 years.
Now, as he approaches what is his final Olympics, a medal in Paris would be the ultimate farewell—a fitting crescendo for the veteran who, clad in his distinctive yellow shirt, massive blue pads, and vibrant helmet, has dedicated so much to his team.