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Dilip Tirkey, former captain of India and current President of Hockey India, has hailed PR Sreejesh as the ‘God of Indian Hockey,’ suggesting that the goalkeeper might continue his career beyond the Paris 2024 Olympics. Although Sreejesh had previously announced his retirement plans following the Games, his stellar performance in the semi-finals against Great Britain demonstrated that he still has plenty of energy and skill left.
On Sunday, the Indian hockey team secured a 4-2 victory over Great Britain in a shootout, advancing to the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite playing much of the match with only 10 players, the team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, emerged victorious at the Yves Du Manoir Stadium.
PR Sreejesh was the standout performer, showcasing his remarkable goalkeeping skills with 11 crucial saves, significantly contributing to India’s triumph over Great Britain. Dilip Tirkey, impressed by Sreejesh’s outstanding performance, praised him for being the game’s savior.
“Look, a new development in the Indian hockey team can be seen now. In recent versions, we have seen that our defense, especially the first runner, is doing a great job. They block the first runner like tigers. Today, Amit Rohidas, you might have seen in one or two short corners, blocked like this. However, Amit Rohidas received a red card and was sent out, but the team’s performance remained outstanding,” Tirkey told India Today.
“The important thing is that Sreejesh. Sreejesh is the god of Indian hockey. He has made a lot of saves in the past, and he saved the match today and helped us reach the semi-finals. Sreejesh’s hard work is evident,” Tirkey was quoted as saying to India Today.
“We want him to continue playing, but Sreejesh himself has already retired. We want Sreejesh to keep playing. But we hope he will continue to contribute in the future, and we get better players. Indian hockey has high hopes for him,” he concluded.
