"Sreejesh macha is like my elder brother"- Manpreet Singh showers special praise on PR SreejeshÂ
Indian hockey midfielder Manpreet Singh has showered praise on the legendary goalkeeper and former teammate, PR Sreejesh. Manpreet and Sreejesh shared the field as part of Team India for many years and were part of the bronze medal-winning teams at the Paris Olympics 2024 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
A four-time Olympian, Singh talked about the goalkeeper's role in his career at a felicitation ceremony for Sreejesh in Delhi. Manpreet credited his former teammate, whom he lovingly refers to as 'Sreejesh Macha', for guiding him when he was still young.
He talked endearingly about how he found an 'elder brother' in Sreejesh when he was first picked in the Indian side.
"When I came into the Indian team, I was just a young kid. It was Sreejesh macha (brother) who took me under his wings like an elder brother. He was always there for me no matter what," said Manpreet at the event hosted by Hockey India.
Manpreet, a former India captain, had led the team to a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 32-year-old further shared how Sreejesh always gave him a sense of security while guarding India's goal.
"Every time I made a mistake on the field, I used to get a little scolding from Sreejesh. But, I used to tell him to continue talking to me, as that gave me the faith, no matter what mistake I make, Sreejesh bhai is always there behind me, guarding our goal," Singh added.
PR Sreejesh to don new hat as coach of the Indian junior men's team
Though PR Sreejesh, will no longer be taking the field for India as a player, he will be seen in a new capacity. Earlier this month on August 14, Hockey India announced that the 36-year-old would be appointed as the coach of the Indian junior men's team.
Given his rich experience and pedigree in the sport, Sreejesh is an ideal candidate for the role. His calm demeanour and leadership ability are suited for the role of mentoring India's young hockey stars.
Earlier this year, PR Sreejesh announced that he would retire as a player following the Paris Olympics 2024. The goalkeeper was instrumental in India's successful campaign which ended with a 2-1 victory over Spain in the bronze medal match.