Hockey
'It's nothing special,' P R Sreejesh after shoot-out heroics
The Indian custodian's heroic saves propelled the Indian men’s hockey team to the Paris 2024 Olympics semi-finals.
PR Sreejesh, pictured here after winning bronze at Tokyo, is all set to have another crack at an Olympic medal at Paris 2024. (File photo: PTI)
The Indian men’s hockey team, reduced to 10 men in the second quarter, defeated Great Britain 4-2 in a shootout to make the Paris 2024 Olympics quarter-finals on Friday.
PR Sreejesh was instrumental in the win.
Caught in a two-on-one situation in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter, Sreejesh made a terrific save to keep India alive.
And despite chasing the ball for a major part of the match, the save ensured that India headed to a shootout.
Reflecting on the match, Sreejesh expressed humility and determination.
"It's nothing special. When Amit got the card, I thought I just want to play the best for him because he is an asset for me as a first-racer and as a defender. Most of the matches we played, we were one man down, so that’s a great effort from the team," he said, in an interaction with the broadcaster after the match.
When asked about his incredible saves, Sreejesh explained, "It's the daily job of a goalkeeper. Even the English goalkeeper, Payne, is very good. Today, it was our day. We did everything perfectly. We scored enough goals in the shootout, so that gave me enough confidence. Ultimately, I got two balls and we won it," he added.
As a veteran of the team, Sreejesh shared his mixed emotions about the tournament possibly being his last.
"When I stepped on this field today, there were two options for me: this is my last tournament, this can be my last match, or I got an opportunity for two more matches," he said.
Looking ahead to the semi-final against either Germany or Argentina, Sreejesh maintained his focus on the team's performance.
"Whoever comes in the semi, we just play our game, that’s it. It’s important because now it’s a different game since we are one man down, and we need to focus on that. We’re waiting for a decision on Amit, but still, we need to play our best game in the semi-finals," he concluded.
In the Paris 2024 Olympics hockey semi-finals, India will play the winner of the quarter-finals between Germany and Argentina on Tuesday.
