Shree’s ‘goal’den aspirations
He is a proverbial hothead — who is ready to go to war for the sake of India. But surprisingly. P.R. Sreejesh would not turn on the battle mode at the sight of a Pakistani player though such is the rivalry between the two nations. “People ask me how it is to play against Pakistan and they expect tough words, but please understand just like us they are sportspersons representing their country and with families,” he says, like a true professional, adding. “At the same time, the rivalry has been going strong for generations and we still consider them our fiercest opponents,” says the goalkeeper and vice-captain of the Indian men’s hockey team and an Arjuna Awardee.
The strapping Keralite, who was recently honoured at the National Sports Day during Onam is a guy who is as sincere about his sport as he is about his family.
Sreejesh’s parents — P.V. Raveendran and Ushakumari — have been his pillars. Married to Aneeshya, an Ayurveda doctor whom he met during their time at the G.V. Raja Sports School, he dotes on his daughter and spends as much time as he can with her.
His wife Aneeshya also has a sports-connect, being a long jumper during her school days. His daughter Anusree was born just before the Asian Games in Incheon and when he returned home with the gold, it was obvious the little one was a lucky charm. “Being a sportsperson is tough in a way because you don’t get to spend quality time at home.
I really miss my daughter when I am away, but that is a sacrifice we make due to the greater responsibility — playing for the nation. Luckily for me, my wife is very supportive as she’s been a sportsperson and understands,” says the sports champ, adding, “People say it is difficult to get me over the phone when I am at home on a break — yes that is because I believe when you are with your family there should be no distractions. They deserve your time so I make sure I stay with my daughter, wife and parents when I’m in Kerala. The time I spend at home re-energises me and gets me ready for the next mission,” Sreejesh says.
The native of Ernakulam in central Kerala has made calculated strides and has been exemplary even though recognition comes hard. One of the most successful hockey players from Kerala — Manuel Frederick, member of the bronze-winning side at the 1972 Munich Olympics — has never had his share of admiration. The “national game” and its heroes have only languished in Kerala. Considering the odds, the authorities can stake no claim to Sreejesh’s rise to stardom. And he has no qualms. He loves his low profile. Far away from the goal mouth which he guards with verve, this 27-year-old is unassuming, and takes time out on his tours with the national side, to just travel and see the world.
“I like to call them recreational getaways,” says Sreejesh. From the Tulip Gardens of Holland to Scottish castles and the palaces in Korea, Sreejesh has a taste of culture and history embedded in him. “The purpose of every tour is complete only if you visit a local attraction,” he says.
Indispensable for most part of his decade-long career in the national side, Sreejesh has but lived in relative obscurity. The mischievous lad who enrolled into school to train for Shotput had to shortly afterwards put down the iron ball when he realised it was not his cup of tea. Talent he had, and his reflexes and spirit saw him rise through the ranks. Sreejesh’s first break was with the Indian junior team during a tour of Australia in 2004. Two years later, he made the senior side in the South Asian Games, but as a teenager, he was eligible to play for junior India and that led him to his first recognition.
“The Best Goalkeeper Award in junior Asia Cup was a wakeup call,” he says. In 2013 he also bagged the ‘Best Goalkeeper’ trophy in the senior Asia Cup. But back home, he was still unknown. “It does not disappoint me,” Sreejesh says. “I’m proud of what I am and whether people recognise me for what I am is secondary. What’s important is that I do my job well,” he adds.
It was only recently; after the silver medal in Glasgow Commonwealth Games did the state learn they could no longer ignore him. He was soon offered a job in the state education department, as the district education officer with the additional role as chief sports organiser and he wholeheartedly accepted the offer and for the sake of it, Sreejesh has resigned from a bank job in Chennai.
“Whatever I’m today is because of hockey,” says Sreejesh. “I am yet to understand the full powers of my new job, but I hope it will help me work closely with schoolchildren and inspire at least some of them to make sports a career like I did,” he says.
