Paris 2024 Olympics: PR Sreejesh retires on a high after India wins consecutive hockey bronze medals since 1972

PR Sreejesh, the goalkeeper of the Indian field hockey team retired on a high after India won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Thursday.

The 36-year-old had already announced that this Games would be his last but the bronze medal, two in a row for him and India, would make his stint all the more remarkable.

“As I stand between the posts for the final time, my heart swells with gratitude and pride. This journey, from a young boy with a dream to the man defending India’s honour, has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Sreejesh wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, before the match against Spain.

“Today, I play my last match for India. Every save, every dive, every roar of the crowd will forever echo in my soul. Thank you, India, for believing in me, for standing by me. This is not the end, but the beginning of cherished memories. Forever a custodian of dreams. Jai Hind,” he added.

Sreejesh made his debut for the senior team in 2006 at the South Asian Games and has been a regular in the team since 2011. He was crucial in India’s gold medal win at the 2014 Asian Games and also at the India’s historic Tokyo Olympics campaign, where India won its first hockey medal at the Olympics after 50 years.