'The country has given me more than what I have given to Indian hockey': PR Sreejesh

PR Sreejesh (Pic: PTI)

Playing down his enormous contribution to Indian hockey, Padma Bhushan PR Sreejesh has concluded that the country has given him more than what he has done for the sport, the views reflecting the legendary goalkeeper's modesty and humility.

From first taking up the sport with the motive of getting grace marks in board exams to becoming only the second hockey player to be honoured with the Padma Bhushan after Major Dhyan Chand, Sreejesh has come a long way.

"I got a call from the sports ministry in the morning but was waiting for the official announcement till evening. All this time everything was going on in my mind like a flashback. I was watching a Hockey India League match in Rourkela when the awards were announced," Sreejesh told PTI Bhasha in an interview.

The 36-year-old Sreejesh, who retired after winning a second successive Olympic bronze with the national team in the Paris Games last year, is currently the head coach of the junior India men's team.

Considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Sreejesh played a stellar role in India's Olympic resurgence. He featured in a whopping 336 games during a career that spanned 18 years and also yielded two Asian Games gold medals.

"My first call was to my parents and wife in Kerala, without whom this journey would not have been possible. After this, I called Harendra sir (Singh), under whose guidance I made my debut in the Indian junior team," Sreejesh said.

"Receiving this award after retiring from the game has made me feel that the country is honouring me for whatever I have done for Indian hockey in the last 20 years. I want to thank my country which has given me back more than what I gave," he said.

Asked about his feeling after becoming the second hockey player to receive this honour after the iconic Dhyan Chand (1956), Sreejesh said that he was unaware of this at first and came to know about it through the media.

"I did not know that. It feels like a dream. India has such a rich legacy in hockey and we have given so many great players to world hockey. Considering this, it is a big thing for me to get this award after Dhyan Chand ji. I consider myself very lucky," he said.

"This year Harmanpreet Singh got the Khel Ratna and I am getting the Padma award, this is a great honour and recognition for hockey."

Recognition in team sport

Sreejesh said that it is not easy to get recognition and win individual awards in team sports, but he has learned along the way that nothing is impossible if one is determined and dedicated.

"I have been playing since childhood and there is a general belief that one gets the Arjuna Award for playing extremely well and Khel Ratna can be received on reaching the peak in career.

"I am talking about team sports because, in the individual category, Abhinav Bindra or PV Sindhu got the Khel Ratna at a very young age, but 18 players cannot get it in team sports," said the veteran from Kochi, who played hockey for the first time at the age of 12, at GV Raja Sports School in Thiruvananthapuram.

"I made my debut as a junior player in 2004 and played till we won the second bronze in the Paris Olympics in 2024. I won Olympic medals, faced defeat in the Olympics, won medals in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

"I also made a lot of sacrifices for this, like staying away from home and family from at a young age, but now it seems that all those sacrifices did not go in vain." The Padma Bhushan is India's third-highest civilian honour, following the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.

"The biggest takeaway from my journey is that nothing is impossible in the world. If you have willpower, you can achieve anything. You just need to work hard and this is the right way." Sreejesh had shared with PTI in an earlier interview that he started playing hockey to get grace marks in 10th and 12th board exams.

The wall of Indian hockey is now a coach and he does not carry the image of a legend to the field.

When asked if he still feels like wearing pads and standing in front of the goalpost or climbing it after winning like he used to do as a player, the Junior Asia Cup-winning coach said that he is not missing anything.

"Surprisingly, I am not missing anything. Maybe also because I am still associated with the game, although in a different capacity. I have played as much as I could and now I am taking the first step in coaching and want to do my best in this too," he said.

"I am on the field, but not in front of the goalpost, I am on the side. I am still shouting on the field. I have not yet felt like wearing pads and standing in front of the goalpost or climbing the goalpost.

"If I had left hockey completely, I would have felt it," said the player who used to be the livewire of the Indian team.

"As a coach, I forget the image of a legendary player. I think that I am new to coaching and still have a lot to learn. I want perfection but then I tell myself that I am a coach, not a player, and it is my job to improve the performance of the players. I leave the player Sreejesh at home and go to the field as coach Sreejesh." Sreejesh also argued in favour of conferring the Bharat Ratna on hockey wizard Dhyan Chand.

"Hockey players are getting recognition and awards. Like Harmanpreet got Khel Ratna this year, Vandana Kataria, Rani Rampal or Dhanraj Bhai got Padma Shri earlier, but when it comes to Dhyan Chand ji, as a hockey player I feel that he should get Bharat Ratna.

"He was the one who gave India recognition on the world sporting map," Sreejesh signed off.

(With agency inputs)