The Indian Men's National Hockey Team is one of the most successful teams in the world. With eight Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1980, Indian Men's Hockey has also won six gold medals in a row. Over the decades, Indian Hockey has produced some of the greatest players in world hockey, including legendary players like Dhyan Chand, Dhanraj Pillay, Balbir Singh Sr., Shankar Lakshman, Udham Singh, Prithipal Singh, and more. Not only this, the Indian Hockey team has also won the Asian Games five times and the Asia Cup three times.
As of now, the Men's Hockey team have won 29 official international titles, which speaks volumes about India's stature in world hockey. Currently, the Men's Hockey Team is in Paris for the 2024 Olympics and is leading all the headlines. On July 27, 2024, the Indian Hockey Team played their first match at the Paris 2024 Olympics against New Zealand, beating them by a score of 3-2. While their second match against Argentina ended in a 1-1 draw, India thrashed Ireland by 2-0.
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After a narrow 1-2 defeat against Belgium, India bounced back and beat Australia by 2-3. On August 4, 2024, the Indian Hockey Team won against Great Britain on penalties. After beating the Britishers, India will now face Germany in the semi-final of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Although, the entire Men's Hockey Team has been exceptional but it is Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh, who has been dominating the headlines since the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The reason behind it is his miraculous display at the goalposts for India so far at the 2024 Olympics that has given him the name of 'Jumping Jack'.
PR Sreejesh was born on May 8, 1988, into a farmer's family in Kizhakkambalam, a suburb of Kochi, Kerala. He completed his schooling from in Kizhakkambalam's St. Antony's Lower Primary School. For graduation, he went to Sree Narayana College in Kerala and completed a Bachelor's degree in History.
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Apart from this, he also joined GV Raja Sports School, where he participated in a series of games. It was where he took hockey as his primary sport instead of the long jump and volleyball. Not only this, but it was the same academy where famous hockey coach, Jayakumar recognised him, which changed Sreejesh's life once and for all.
PR Sreejesh used to be a shot-out athlete during his school days and even tried his luck in football and volleyball. Unfortunately, he couldn't make himself home in any of these. It was when he decided to play hockey, that too with the primary motive of getting grace marks on his Kerala State Board exams. In the beginning, Sreejesh started playing hockey as an outfield player, but as time passed, he realised he lacked the kind of stamina and power needed to be an outfield player. Thus, he eventually chose to be the goalkeeper, as it only required a little running.
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Once, in an old interview with the Hindustan Times, PR Sreejesh talked about his decision to become a goalkeeper. The ace goalkeeper honestly admitted that he wasn't a fan of running. Thus, he opted for a goalie's position that requires a different amount of stamina and speed than an outfield player. However, while reflecting on a goalkeeper's job, Sreejesh shared that a goalie should be a 'crazy person' and know the art of intimidating. He also added that with quick reflexes, a goalkeeper must showcase aggression in order to put pressure on the opponents.
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PR Sreejesh made his junior national team debut back in 2004 against Australia. Two years later, in 2006, he introduced himself to the senior national team, and since then, he has won a series of titles and awards. In 2021, Sreejesh won the Khel Ratna Award, and in 2022, he was bestowed with the World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 award for his incredible contribution to Indian hockey.
Talking about his personal life, PR Sreejesh is married to Aneeshya, who is an Ayurveda doctor and a former long jumper. The stunning couple is blessed with an adorable daughter, Anusree and a handsome son, Sreeansh. Time and again, we have seen Sreejesh post stunning pictures on his Instagram handle, featuring his wife, children, and parents.
The doting husband showcased his wife's name written on his hockey stick during the celebration with his teammates after beating Great Britain. As per multiple reports, Sreejesh and Aneeshya have been together for the last 22 years. The couple fell in love when they were in college and are now leading a happy married life with each other.
Coming back to PR Sreejesh's exceptional display at the Paris 2024 Olympics, earned him the title of 'God of Hockey' by many people and critics. It's incredible to see Sreejesh reach this level because there was a time when his father had to sell his cow in order to buy Sreejesh's first kit. It was a major sacrifice for his family, both financially and emotionally. However, Sreejesh's dedication made it worth it, as he is among the world's best goalkeepers in the world of hockey.
We hope PR Sreejesh continues to make India proud with his exceptional display of goalkeeping for the Men's Hockey team.
Also Read: Who Is Sarabjot Singh? Meet Farmer's Son, Who Won Bronze At Paris 2024 Olympics With Manu Bhaker
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