PARIS: Legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh of the Indian hockey team has stated that he will retire after the Paris Olympics. 36-year-old Sreejesh announced his retirement through a heartfelt post on his Instagram account. Sreejesh, who is preparing for the fourth Olympics in his career, is hailed as the best goalkeeper in Indian history. He is also number one in the list of the best stars in the world.

Sreejesh, who made his debut in the Indian jersey in 2006, participated in 328 matches for India so far. Mr. Sreejesh played a crucial role in winning bronze for India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2016, the Indian team reached the quarter under his leadership. He played a vital role in many crucial achievements and victories for India, including the gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games.

The country honored him with the Padma Shri award in 2017 and the Khel Ratna, the highest honour in the field of sports, in 2021. Sreejesh thanked his family, coaches, teammates and fans in his farewell note and recalled how his father sold his cow and bought a hockey kit for the first time. Sreejesh has written in detail about his career from his early days at GV Raja School, Thiruvananthapuram.

Sreejesh Paratt, a native of Ernakulam Pallikkara, is the son of Ravind and Usha. His wife is Anisya, a former long jump star and an Ayurvedic doctor. Children are Anushree and Sriyansh.