Charging in direction of the striker as if he was attacking and never defending, PR Sreejesh’s two lunges in the course of the penalty shootout was sufficient for the Indian males’s hockey crew to beat world No.1 and defending Pro League champions Netherlands 2-2 (4-2) on Sunday evening.
“Goalkeepers age like fine wine, they get better with age,” is Sreejesh’s response each time he’s requested about his seniority within the crew.(Getty Images)
With acrobatic saves and common sprints in direction of attacking strikers, the 35-year-old continues to defy his age, being the one member of the Indian crew born within the Eighties. Known for his youthful ebullience on the sector, Sreejesh is a livewire on the sector, repeatedly barking orders from between the posts 18 years on since making his debut for India.
Discover the fun of cricket like by no means earlier than, completely on HT. Explore now!
“Goalkeepers age like fine wine, they get better with age,” is Sreejesh’s response each time he’s requested about his seniority within the crew. The Olympic bronze medallist is kind of proper. Dutchman Pirmin Blaak, who gained the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award final 12 months, is 35. Belgium’s Olympic champion Vincent Vanasch– three-time FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awardee – is 36, like Australia’s Andrew Charter. These names are the perfect within the business. Time and once more these names, together with the India goalie, have proved that.
India in bother. Sreejesh makes sensible saves. India wins match. This has develop into a customary apply over time with the 2021 Khel Ratna awardee coming to the crew’s rescue every time wanted. Despite making his senior India debut in 2006, the two-time FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awardee needed to wait six years to develop into an everyday within the crew as he remained as a assist keeper after Adrian D’Souza and Bharat Chettri.
But because the 2012 London Olympics, the goalkeeper from Kerala has stood like a wall in India’s objective withstanding all adjustments the crew has seen, be it captains, coaches, administration or gamers. From being the third-choice keeper, Sreejesh is now grooming Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera and Pawan, amongst others, who will take up the mantle as soon as the Olympic bronze medallist decides to hold up his goalkeeping package.
“Sreejesh has proved that one can succeed regardless of coming from a tradition (not well-known for its hockey gamers). He is at a unique degree fully and it feels so good to observe him having fun with his hockey. Sreejesh is an ideal idol for the younger technology,” said D’Souza.
The former India goalkeeper recalled the teenaged Sreejesh come into the Indian setup, face language and cultural barriers, overcome them and develop into one of the world’s best keepers. Back then, D’Souza would advise Sreejesh to develop his own style of keeping, form his own identity.
“As goalkeepers, we always try to copy another goalkeeper. It goes without saying. We used to watch videos. I have got advice from seniors saying, ‘Hey, you got to be your own style.’ And that made such a big impact because no matter what we learn, our walking style, our talking style is going to be a bit different in life,” he mentioned.
Today, Sreejesh’s model, mannerisms and antics stand out, making him the entertainer of the pack. For your entire aspect, ‘Sree bhai’ is the man to hunt recommendation from, to study hockey from, but additionally somebody to joke round with, who can simply lighten the temper of the crew, particularly when it’s down.
“I’ve learnt tips on how to lead from the entrance from my seniors like Sreejesh which has helped me take accountability. It has helped me be the perfect model of myself and helped push my teammates to provide their greatest on the pitch,” mentioned India vice-captain Hardik Singh, the 2023 FIH Player of the Year.
With the Pro League the ultimate area to check himself earlier than the Paris Olympics, the place Sreejesh will like nothing greater than to face on the podium once more, the previous India skipper is eager to push himself. Unlike most tournaments, solely 16 gamers are allowed on the Games, that means just one keeper.
Though Pathak has carried out exceptionally in the previous couple of years, repeatedly alternating quarters with Sreejesh, it’s probably that the senior goalkeeper will get the ticket to Paris. Sreejesh would wish to high-quality tune his expertise, sharpen his response time and get sufficient sport time earlier than heading to Paris, beginning with India’s subsequent contest towards Tokyo Olympics silver medallists Australia in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
