India men’s hockey team stood on everyone’s expectations and returned with the prestigious bronze medal from the Paris Olympics 2024. With their third-place finish in the Paris Olympics, the Harmanpreet Singh-led men’s team proved that the historic bronze in the Tokyo Games three years ago was not a flash in the pan. The Indian team, who was having a flawless campaign in the group stage with only loss, faced a shocking defeat against Germany in the semi-finals. However, the Indians showed their true mettle and bounced back in the third place against Spain and clinched the bronze medal.
The medal ensured the legendary PR Sreejesh, one of the team’s biggest pillars for nearly two decades, got the send-off he deserved after he decided to retire from the sport.
Speaking to NDTV, Indian midfielder Shamsher Singh revealed that even before starting the campaign in Paris, the team had decided to get a medal for Sreejesh as a farewell gift.
“Sreejesh Bhai (brother) is a legend and everyone saw what he did for India at the Paris Olympics. Even before the beginning of our campaign in Paris, we had decided that we will dedicating our medal to Sreejesh. He gave so many years of life to Indian hockey and fortunately we were able to give him a memorable farewell gift,” Shamsher told NDTV.
“His absence will always be felt but the important factor is that who will be replacing him. We have faith in Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera, who have replaced Sreejesh in our team. Both the players have shared field with Sreejesh and our very experienced, so, that’s a good thing for our team.
Shamsher is currently leading Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League in Rourkela, Odisha. On his role as a captain, Shamsher said that it’s a new experience but a great opportunity as a player.
“My game style is same but the responsibility is different. Every player in the team contributes equally but as a captain, you need to take a step further. This is the first time that I am leading any team and I am honoured that Delhi SG Pipers showed trust in me,” he said.
“My main role as the captain is to create a comfortable environment for both foreign and domestic players. We need to find a perfect balance, in order to find out the strengths of all our players,” he added.
Currently, Delhi SG Pipers have played four matches in the ongoing HIL and have lost three matches and placed at the bottom of the points table. Their only win came against Team Gonasika in the opening match, where they won 4-2 in the shootout.
Delhi SG Pipers will now be squaring off against UP Rudras on January 11.
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