Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh gets married to former long jumper Alisha
Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh (2nd from left)
The Sreejesh household is in seventh heaven. And no prizes for guessing why. India’s ace hockey goalkeeper experienced ultimate bliss on the personal front as he got married to former long jumper and Ayurveda doctor Alisha at the Maha Vishnu temple at nearby Kizhakambalam in Kerala.
The 25-year-old goal-tender is believed to have known Alisha for a long time and exchanged wedding vows at the Maha Vishnu temple.
According to sources close to the family, the marriage ceremony was a simple affair and was attended by close relatives and friends.
Sreejesh would be soon joining the national camp at Bangalore by the end of this month in preparation for the FIH Hockey World League Round 3 (semifinals) competition.
Sreejesh performed well at the 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, where he repeatedly pulled off crucial saves in every match the Blueshirts played.
It may be worth recalling that Sreejesh could not take part in the FIH 34th Champions Trophy hockey tournament held in Melbourne, Australia after he pulled a hamstring injury sustained during the preceding Lanco 9s Series.
The ace shot stopper was replaced by rookie Sushant Tirkey.
PT Rao shouldered the goalkeeping responsibilities of India in his absence and was quite a revelation, helping the men in blue finish a creditable fourth.
The Indian Overseas Bank employee returned to national duty in the Hero Hockey World League Round 2 tournament.
Sreejesh turned out for Mumbai Magicians in the inaugural Hero Hockey India League.
He was given a larger role in the Indian goalkeeping department after the disastrous London Olympics campaign as he was preferred over experienced Bharat Chetri.
Sreejesh was the hero in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy last year, where he effected two brilliant saves in the penalty shootout of the final game against Pakistan, which India won 4-2.
During his childhood days, Sreejesh was an athlete and joined the G.V. Raja Sports School, Thiruvananthapuram at the age of 12. He first saw and picked up hockey there and soon was selected in the school team.
Gradually, he played in various tournaments at the school, district and state levels.
Sreejesh, who hails from the Pallikkara village in Kerala, played his junior international debut against Australia in Perth in 2004, which was a part of the practice matches for the 2005 FIH Junior World Cup in The Netherlands. But he didn’t make it to the final eleven in the Junior World Cup.
He made his senior international debut at the 2006 South Asian Games in Colombo.