Star India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who is playing his last international tournament, on Friday said he is the Dhanraj Pillay for youngsters of the current team.
In a gruelling sport like hockey, where quick turnover of players is a norm than an exception, Sreejesh, 36, is playing alongside several youngsters half his age as India looks to finish on the podium.
Sreejesh, who is playing his fourth and last Olympics, had already announced that he will retire after the Paris Games.
The 36-year-old custodian from Kerala played a stellar role in India’s stunning 3-2 win over Australia on Friday, which came after 52 years in the Olympics.
For India, drag-flicker Harmanpreet converted a short corner and a penalty corner after Abhishek had netted the first goal of the match in the 12th minute. Meanwhile, Thomas Craig and Blake Govers found the back of the net for the Aussies.
However, Australia also had a couple of shots on the target on PR Sreejesh’s post and the veteran saved them all to avoid an early deficit.
India last defeated Australia in men’s hockey competition at the Olympics way back in the 1972 Munich edition.
“I don’t know those stats. Everyone played well today not just the defence. The defence starts from centre-forward and I am the last man. All did well today,” Sreejesh, regarded as the ‘Wall of Indian hockey’, said after the match.
“I am playing with fourth generation in this team. Some were not even born when I started playing hockey. A few years back, players wanted to do it for Dhanraj Pillay. I am Dhanraj for this generation, they want to do it for me, what more you can you ask for,” he added.
Dhanraj, one of the greatest forwards India has produced, started Indian hockey’s resurgence when he guided the team to an Asian Games gold after 32 years, in 1998 at Bangkok. Before that India had won gold at the Asian Games in 1966.