Indian Men’s Hockey Team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made his 300th appearance for the national side on Friday, 11th August 2023. The 34-year old achieved the feat during India’s Semi-Final contest at the Asian Champions Trophy against Japan at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai. India went on to register a 5-0 victory in the contest as a fitting gift to Sreejesh and advanced to the final. Follow InsideSport on GOOGLE NEWS / Follow India vs Japan Asian Champions Trophy 2023 Live Updates with InsideSport.IN
Also Read: India vs Japan: India maul Japan 5-0, enter Hockey Asian Champions Trophy final
Hockey India felicitates Sreejesh
To mark his 300th appearance, a special ceremony was organised before the start of the semifinal contest. He was felicitated by the FIH president Dato Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh.
Sreejesh is one of the most experienced players in the current Indian squad. He made his India debut at the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi. Since then he has been a pivotal member of the team, representing the country at almost all the major international tournaments. It includes the 2010, 2014, 2018 Hockey Men’s World Cup and 2023 Hockey Men’s World Cup, Commonwealth Games in 2014, 2018 and 2022; and three Olympic Games – London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. At the Tokyo Olympics, he played a pivotal role in helping the team clinch the historic Bronze medal.
‘Privileged to have represented India for more than two decades’
He was also part of India’s Bronze Medal winning side in the 2018 Asian Games. Sreejesh also featured in the teams that won the Gold Medal winning team of 2019 FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar and Silver Medal winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Speaking on the milestone, Sreejesh said, “I am privileged to have represented India for more than two decades. Earning my 300th International Cap is truly a special memory for me. I will always give my best each time I will get the opportunity to wear the Indian jersey. I would like to thank Hockey India, my teammates, and the support staff for their constant support over the years.”
Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He is only the second sportsperson from India to win the World Games Athlete of the Year 2021. He has also won back-to-back FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In the current Indian squad, Sreejesh is only the second player to feature in 300 matches. The only other player who has played more games than him is former skipper Manpreet Singh.
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