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The Paris Olympics 2024 is just 25 days away and the Indian hockey team is gearing up for the Summer Games in style. At the French capital, India have been clubbed in Pool B and will have to face top teams like World No. 3 Belgium and Tokyo Games' silver-medal winning side Australia (who have always been a tough nut to crack), apart from Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
This time out India will see their goalkeeper PR Sreejesh take part in his fourth Olympics, a record which was so far held by the legendary Dhanraj Pillay. In a special series launched by Hockey India (Hockey Te Charcha, Familia), PR Sreejesh's wife Dr. Aneeshya Sreejesh spoke about her expectations from her husband and also the Indian hockey team.
Notably, this series comprises the family members of the hockey players who share the struggles and support the family needs to provide to a professional athlete.
Aneeshya Sreejesh, who is herself a former long-jumper, started the conversation by describing their early days:
“We were classmates and have known each other for 22 years. I was an athlete at that time. I have seen his whole journey, right from when he was struggling. It is great to see him achieve his goals now.”
Notably, Aneeshya is an Ayurvedic doctor and takes care of everything at home while PR Sreejesh is away. She said:
"The real struggle is spending time away from him. He’s doing really well for the country so taking care of the kids at home is the least I could do."
Not only Aneeshya, but also the residents of Kochi who are also like a family to Sreejesh, are excited for the Paris Olympics. Resonating the voice of the people of Kochi, Aneeshya mentioned:
“We are all really excited for the Paris Olympics, which will be his fourth one. This is truly special and we all expect nothing less than a gold.”
Sreejesh is currently 36 and age can be a barrier against top-notch performances in field sports. His wife, however, shares Sreejesh's belief in this chat:
“He always says a goalkeeper’s life is like wine. With time, they become more efficient and get better in quality. He tries to become better with every day.”
Indian hockey team gearing up for Paris Olympics
Hockey India recently announced their 16-member squad for the Paris Olympics. This time out there will be four debutants in the contingent apart from senior players like PR Sreejesh and Manpreet Singh. Notably, like Sreejesh, Singh will also register his fourth Olympics appearance. The team will be led on the pitch by drag-flicker and defender Harmanpreet Singh. They'll go to Switzerland for a few days and then play some friendly matches in Netherlands ahead of the Games.
Till date, India have won 12 medals at the Olympics. This includes eight gold, one silver and three bronze medals. The Harmanpreet Singh-led side will now aim to add one more medal to this tally. In order to advance to the last eight, India will need a top-four finish in the group. Considering the schedule and the weight of the opponents, a strategic blend in game management will be enough to help them make their way to the quarter-finals.
