PR Sreejesh’s Jersey no. 16 bids final farewell set to retire from Indian Hockey

New Delhi: After serving Indian hockey for the past 18 years, Indian hockey has decided to retire jersey no. 16 which was worn by the Indian goalkeeper who has been touted as “The Great Wall of Indian Hockey.” The decision was announced by the General Secretary of Hockey India- Bhola Nath Singh. Furthermore, Singh also confirmed in the media that the Indian goalkeeper has been made the coach of the junior Hockey side.

An era of excellence ends as Hockey India retires the iconic No. 16 jersey of PR Sreejesh. From impossible saves to inspiring generations, Sreejesh’s legacy will forever be etched in the history of Indian hockey. 🏑🇮🇳 #IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia #SreejeshFelicitation… pic.twitter.com/yelBLMtAAq

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 14, 2024

Earlier, the Indian men’s hockey team clinched consecutive bronze medals in the Olympic Games. It was a fitting tribute to Sreejesh who has been a longtime server of the game. Following the win in Paris, Hockey India had a special celebration after the win. This was followed by a cash prize of Rs 25 Lakhs and a trophy to celebrate the career of Mamata.

#Delhi: Olympic bronze medalist Manu Bhaker attended PR Sreejesh’s farewell ceremony, where she presented him with a t-shirt and a plant as tokens of appreciation.#ParisOlympics2024 pic.twitter.com/L8JhIB0XKa

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) August 14, 2024

What is that interesting twist in Singh’s speech?

Although Bhola Nath Singh confirmed the retirement of jersey no. 16, there is an interesting angle in the Hockey General Secretary’s speech. So far, the decision that has been taken is that the jersey has been retired at the senior level. But here comes the twist, Singh confirmed that jersey no. 16 will only be retired at the senior level.

PR Sreejesh. 🇮🇳’s greatest GK ever. As his #16 jersey is retired today, here’s a look at his career’s 16 biggest wins:

Olympics: 🥉🥉
Asian Games: 🥇🥇🥉
Champions Trophy: 🥈🥈
Commonwealth Games: 🥈🥈
Asian Champions Trophy: 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈
Asia Cup: 🥈
Asian Indoor Games: 🥉

Go… pic.twitter.com/wkwP3cKnwQ

— Shyam Vasudevan (@JesuisShyam) August 14, 2024

However, at the junior level Jersey No. 16 will stay intact and will not be retired. This is done so that PR Sreejesh who is the coach of the junior team can create and raise the next “Sreejesh No. 16″. Craig Fulton who has been the architect of Indian Hockey at the global level has also sung laurels for the former Indian goalkeeper.

Fulton remarked, “He wears his heart on his sleeve. The beautiful thing about him is that you’ll know when he’s happy and when he’s not…”