P R Sreejesh, Field Hockey’s “Colosseum”

Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh, a field hockey icon, is a bridge between centuries in India’s national game.

Between 2004 and 2024, India has played in four Olympics, five World Cups, five Asian Games, five Asia Cups, six Asian Champions Trophies, five Commonwealth Games, 14 Sultan Azlan Shah Cups, three South Asian Games, and five Champions Trophies. From Thiruvalla Pappan in the 1948 London Games to Sajan Prakash in the 2020 Tokyo Games, Kerala produced more than 50 Olympians.

Ask any Indian hockey fan who their favorite goalkeeper is, and you will hear the names of Shankar Laxman, Leo Pinto, Chinadorai Deshmutu, Ranganathan Rancis, Richard Allen, and Mir Ranjan Negi. But when it comes to the history of Indian hockey–how it went from a wooden spoon to the Olympic podium– Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh is the name that is remembered and revered.

Edward Stanley says, “Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” One day and one tournament at a time, he ensured he never fell apart. In doing so, he also confirmed that his national team never fell apart.

Yes, life is all but a smooth, joyous ride, and there can never be better examples of it than the 2006 Monchengladbach World Cup and the 2008 Santiago Olympic qualifiers, which are, in many unputdownable ways, some of the worst days in the history of Indian Hockey. But life is short and must be celebrated. Shared below are a few important moments of Sreejesh in Indian colors.

• 2004 – India Juniors vs Australia Juniors, Perth, Australia.
• 2006 – South Asian Games at Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• 2006 – Men’s Hockey World Cup, Monchengladbach, Germany.
• 2008 – Men’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup, Hyderabad, India.
• 2010 – Men’s Hockey World Cup, New Delhi, India
• 2011 – Men’s Asian Champions Trophy, Ordos City, China.
• 2012 – Olympic Games, London, United Kingdom.
• 2014 – Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
• 2015 – Fintro Hockey World League Semi-Final Antwerp, Belgium.
• 2016 – Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• 2016 – Men’s Asian Champions Trophy, Kuantan, Malaysia.
• 2018 – Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia.
• 2018 – Rabobank Hockey Champions Trophy, Breda, The Netherlands.
• 2020 – Olympic Games, Tokyo, Japan.
• 2022 – Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, United Kingdom. (most recent and major accomplishment)

P R Sreejesh has won thirteen medals in his unrivaled career. A silver (Asia Cup), a gold and a bronze (Asian Games), three gold and a silver (Asian Champions Trophy), two silvers each at the Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games, a bronze (World League), and a critical bronze at the Olympics.

Courtesy X

But he is known for much more than the medals. Field hockey players and goalkeepers have come before and will come after, but Sreejesh stands tall among them. Dedication and passion are the reasons.

Meticulous footwork. Presence of mind. Sound knowledge of the hockey stick’s ‘middle left’ and ‘middle right’ attacks. A flippant smile. A fistful of emotions. He has an uncanny ability to manage himself under stress. Those are just a few of the attributes he showed on the field. Moreover, he did not succumb and wither before the politics and pressures of the subcontinent. Monchengladbach, Johannesburg, and Santiago made him the character he is in Incheon, Ipoh, Raipur, and Tokyo.

Life in the goal is very lonely, yet Sreejesh found his calling in the sacredness there. He did so by embracing the often brutal reality of the position and co-existing with his hockey stick.

A quick look at the facts section on the International Hockey Federation website says Sreejesh has over 300 India caps and has played against thirty different opponents–from regular opponents like Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Netherlands, Argentina, and Germany to rare happenings like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Poland, Ghana, Scotland, and Uzbekistan–Sreejesh has seen and lived through them all.

So now, if one asks how will you remember Sreejesh, what will you say? The answer is probably Tokyo, but let’s not forget the journey that took him there. He was an all-around athlete who played and excelled at many sports and on many teams.

But in Tokyo, Sreejesh showed what he is most famous for. He showed exceptional reflexes, agility, acrobatic saves, and shot-stopping abilities against New Zealand, Spain, Argentina, Japan, Belgium, and Germany. His quick reactions, ability to read the game, positional sense, calm demeanor, and leadership skills allowed him to make one crucial save after another under pressure.

Sreejesh helped India win its third bronze medal at the Olympics and, more importantly, perhaps, its first medal after an excruciating 41-year gap.

Courtesy ESPN

With a few drops of tears, when we reminisce the arc and perch of Sreejesh’s rise as a hockey player, we will, with pride, go home with Tokyo’s triumph.

When asked about the modern-day Indian great, Vijigeesha Velurishe, a former goalkeeper from the state of Telangana, says, “For all we know about him, he comes across as reliable off the field as much as on the field! You can hear him screaming his guts out when not in the playing eleven. We hardly hear any European goalies talk much, let alone scream. But Sreejesh goes all out in both – guarding the goal and guiding the team!”

Off the field, Sreejesh is highly respected for his professionalism and positive attitude, both on and off the field, and he is also known for his sportsmanship, humility, and ability to inspire and motivate his teammates. Considered a role model for aspiring hockey players in India, he has won numerous awards and received accolades for his contributions to the game. For example, in 2017, he was honored with the prestigious Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards. Sreejesh was also named to the FIH All-Star Team and won awards for Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament at various international events.

The bottom line is clear and present: Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh is an icon of the game that India plays.