Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his admiration for former Indian hockey star PR Sreejesh, praising his significant contributions to the sport in a heartfelt letter.
Sreejesh, known as ‘The Wall’ for his impressive goalkeeping skills, shared the letter on social media, captioning it, “Received this heart-warming letter from @narendramodi Sir on my retirement. Hockey is my life and I’ll continue to serve the game and work towards making India a power in hockey, the start of which has been made with the 2020, 2024 Olympic medals. Thank You PM Sir for your faith in me.”
The letter from PM Modi commended Sreejesh for his stellar performance at the Paris Olympics, where he helped secure a bronze medal for India. Modi acknowledged the emotional significance of the occasion, recognizing it as Sreejesh’s final game as a player.
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“First of all, congratulations on yet another outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics to bring home the bronze medal. It must have been a deeply emotional moment for you to savor the sweetness of victory while also digesting the fact that this would be your last game for the country as a player,” the letter stated.
Modi’s Confidence Sreejesh
Modi expressed confidence in Sreejesh’s future as he transitions to a new role. “I am sure that the final hooter that sounded in the game was only a signal for the beginning of the next half of the game of life, in which you will be the Head Coach of the Junior Men’s team. I am sure your work in the new role will be as impactful and inspirational,” the letter continued.
Throughout his illustrious career, Sreejesh earned 328 caps and played a key role in India’s hockey successes, including the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games and the bronze at the 2015 FIH Hockey World League Final. He also received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 and the Padma Shri in 2017.
Modi’s letter highlighted Sreejesh’s contributions and memorable performances, such as his crucial saves in the 2014 Asian Games final and leadership during the Rio Olympics, which marked a resurgence in Indian hockey.
Following Sreejesh’s retirement and his pivotal role in India’s consecutive Olympic bronze medals, Hockey India has honored him by retiring his jersey number 16 from the senior national team.
“The back-to-back medals in Tokyo and Paris, in which you played a crucial role, fulfill the dreams of crores of fans. Countless memories stand out, and one letter cannot capture them all!” the Prime Minister concluded in his letter.
