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PR Sreejesh - The Great Wall of India

The Quint
Updated ·3 min read

Only 6.8 seconds were left in the game. India was leading 5-4. But then Germany won a penalty corner and was closing in on destroying India's dream of winning an Olympic medal after 41-years and its first Bronze in 49-years.

However, Germany had the PR Sreejesh barrier to cross first. The 35-year-old from Kerala came up with the most telling save of his career, not his first of the game, and with that, he officially replaced Rahul Dravid as The Wall. We are sure Dravid won't mind being stripped off that title. In fact, he would be super happy to pass on the baton to the three-time Olympian.

Sreejesh was anyway on his way to earn that title after some spectacular saves throughout the tournament, such as the spectacular double-save in less than two seconds against Great Britain in the quarter-finals. We kid you not. Watch it to believe it.

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Also Read: Indian Men's Team Create History; Win Hockey Bronze at Tokyo Olympics

<div class="paragraphs"><p>PR Sreejesh celebrates after India beat Germany 5-4 to win the Bronze medal after 49 years. </p></div>

PR Sreejesh celebrates after India beat Germany 5-4 to win the Bronze medal after 49 years.

And to think that that this man was contemplating retirement sometime back. It won't be wrong to say that if not for him, India would have had to wait for a medal for another three years (the next Olympics being in 2024). And, by then, Sreejesh, 35 at present, may not have been in the picture.

"Sreejesh has been one of the finest goalkeepers in this Olympics. He has played a huge role. He always guided the defenders. He has sacrificed a lot for this moment. I can go on writing about Sreejesh's sacrifices," an emotional Harendra Singh, former coach of India, having a difficult time controlling his tears after India's magnificent achievement, said of Sreejesh while talking to Sony Sports.

In his youth, Sreejesh was nowhere near Hockey. He started off as a sprinter and then moved on to Shot Put, Basketball and Volleyball. When he was 12, his coach suggested that he shift his focus to goalkeeping in Hockey.

He made his junior national team debut in 2004 and saw himself sharing the dressing room with senior goalkeepers Adrian D'Souza and Bharat Chettri in the men's national team a couple of years later at the South Asian Games in Colombo. Soon, he became India's first choice goalkeeper. A Padma Shri medal, an Arjuna Award trophy followed soon.

After his impressive show in the 2014 Asian Games and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where India clinched gold and bronze respectively, the Kerala government honoured Sreejesh with a road named after him in his village of Kizhakkambalam in 2015 - 'Olympian Sreejesh Road'.

So what will they rename after him now? An actual wall, dare we suggest, might be ideal. Won't it?

. Read more on Olympic Sports by The Quint.PR Sreejesh - The Great Wall of IndiaDay 13, Tokyo Olympics LIVE: Men's Hockey Team Win Olympic Medal After 41 yrs . Read more on Olympic Sports by The Quint.