PR Sreejesh: The Impenetrable Wall of Indian Hockey 

PR Sreejesh was a bit nervous when India gave away a penalty corner (with only 6.8 seconds left in the game) against a tenacious German side who were itching for an opportunity to score a last-ditch equalizer at the Tokyo Olympics.

The onus was once again on the experienced goalkeeper to bail his team out of the precarious situation at the Tokyo Olympics.

India were leading the bronze medal match 5-4 and were on the cusp of claiming an Olympic medal after 41 years.

If Germany managed to score that goal, then the game would have gone into a penalty shootout, where it would have been anybody's game.

However, Germany had to cross the PR Sreejesh barrier.

When Lukas Windfeder's drag-flick pierced the defense, every Indian was down to their prayers, but Sreejesh made sure the ball did not go past him and made all fans cry in the joy of that win. He kept his eyes on the ball, remained calm, and made the most telling save of his career.

He moved to his left, extending his left hand to tip the ball out. And, believe it or not, the loudest cheer for India's men's hockey team during the Tokyo Olympics did not come after a goal. It happened after a save!

A save that was no less significant. A save ended the medal drought for Indian hockey after a barren period of 41 years.

A save that immortalized Sreejesh as the 'impenetrable wall of Indian hockey.' He once described goalkeeping as 'a crazy job' that 'no normal person would do.'

Do we disagree with him?

It takes superhuman abilities for a player like Sreejesh to withstand the constant barrage of balls in the net.

There were times when he failed to score crucial goals and allowed five or six against powerhouses like Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, but for the most part, he was a rock-solid wall, saving some improbable goals for his team.

His spectacular double save in less than two seconds against Great Britain in the Olympic Games quarterfinals is a testament to his abilities.

He also possesses a strong will. Even if he is hit while making a save, he will quietly dust himself off, rub the pain away, and return to his position.

The job of a goalkeeper is thankless. He will do his job if he makes a save. However, if he concedes a goal, he may have cost his team the game. There are no more save attempts, and no more chances for redemption. It can have a devastating psychological impact.

Perhaps it was the mental toll that prompted him to consider retirement before the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Even thinking about what would have happened if Sreejesh had retired at that time is terrifying.

It would not be wrong to say that if it hadn't been for him, India would have had to wait another three years for a medal (the next Olympics being in 2024).

And, as fans, we prefer Olympic medalist Sreejesh over Olympian Sreejesh. Isn't that right?

He has been guarding the Indian net with great success for many years with a single motto: "I do not want to concede a goal," and he shows no signs of slowing down. Quite fittingly, it is his stopping abilities that have earned him all of the recognition.

Sreejesh will be in the Indian D, guarding the Indian nets, as the Indian team walks onto the field to claim the title of World Champions in the upcoming FIH 2023 Hockey World Cup.

The "Impenetrable Indian Wall" will be waiting for all the strikers. BEWARE.