Paris Olympics 2024: Hockey India Retires No 16 Jersey In Honour Of PR Sreejesh . Hockey India No. 16 jersey is no longer in the possession of the national men’s senior team as a tribute to goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who announced his retirement after the Paris Olympics. In so doing, he acknowledges his great contribution to the sport, which lasted for 18 years and included a bronze medal at the last two Olympics.
Sreejesh, who will now be looking to coaching, will be in charge of the junior men’s hockey team and his career journey will be similar to that of Rahul Dravid. “Hockey India retires the No. 16 jersey from the senior men’s team in honor of PR Sreejesh,” announced Bhola Nath, Hockey India’s secretary. This decision reflects the deep respect and admiration Sreejesh has earned over his illustrious career.
Hockey India announced that Sreejesh will now coach the junior men’s hockey team as an additional tribute. Rahul Dravid’s coaching career inspired the 36-year-old former athlete and has expressed a desire to become a coach. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Sreejesh revealed, “Coaching has always been my plan if the time is right. After retiring my family is my priority. Let me have a conversation with them to find out if they agree. Now, my wife’s opinion on this is what I value most.”
Sreejesh shared his plan for developing young talent, saying, “I want to start with the juniors, just like Rahul Dravid did. The idea is to train a group of players, bring them into the senior team, and guide them along the way.”
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Sreejesh’s retirement life is the last era of Indian hockey. His legacy is not only by his Olympic success but also by his commitment to the future of the sport. A fan favorite and a blessing to his teammates, Sreejesh’s commitment and vision will be instrumental in the future of hockey in India.
As the junior men’s hockey team gets a new coach, Sreejesh wants to build a strong feeder system as a follow-up to the national team, just like Dravid, who started by coaching India’s U-19 and A teams and later progressed to the senior team. This plan is to ensure that the players will be coming to the senior team consistently.
The retirement of the No. 16 jersey is the manifestation of the very high appreciation Sreejesh has acquired in his sportsman’s life. His role in advancing Indian hockey is largely celebrated, and the hockey community is looking forward to his new chapter as a coach.
