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Following his team's bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics, Indian men's hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who played his final international tournament for the country, celebrated the medal win in style.
Taking to Instagram, Sreejesh posted a picture of him sleeping next to his medal with a smile on his face, captioned, "Whataaaaaa morning" https://www.instagram.com/p/C-cRm23ud37/?hl=en The Harmanpreet Singh-led side secured a historic bronze medal, defeating Spain 2-1, marking their second consecutive Olympic medal, an achievement last accomplished 52 years ago. The match, held at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium here on Thursday, was especially significant as it also served as the farewell game for legendary Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who played his last international match. The Indian team, led by Captain Harmanpreet Singh, delivered a stellar performance, with the skipper himself scoring two crucial goals in the 30th and 33rd minutes. Their victory not only secured the Bronze medal but also solidified India's position as a dominant force in international hockey. Sreejesh was also the star of the match, pulling out some memorable and stunning saves. A veteran of over 300 International caps, three Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Cups, Sreejesh featured in his fourth Olympic Games. Having made his debut at the 2010 World Cup, Sreejesh has been part of various memorable wins for India, which include a gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games, a bronze medal in Jakarta-Palembang, the joint-winning team of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, the gold medal-winning team of 2019 FIH Men's Series Finals in Bhubaneswar and the silver medal winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 36-year-old goalie was one of the main architects of India's historic Bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He was instrumental in India's third-place finish at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22. Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 and is only the second sportsperson from India to win the award of World Games Athlete of the Year 2021. He has also won back-to-back FIH Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Last year, he stood tall in India's gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games, which sealed the team's berth for Paris 2024. Meanwhile, Hockey India announced a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh for each player of the men's hockey team and Rs 7.5 lakh for each member of the support staff in recognition of their bronze medal triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey lauded the team's historic performance, and said, as quoted from HI, "This victory is a testament to the hard work, determination, and resilience of our players and support staff. Winning back-to-back Olympic medals is an extraordinary achievement that reflects the resurgence of Indian hockey on the world stage. On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate the entire team and support staff for their exceptional performance and dedication. The cash prizes are a token of our appreciation for their relentless pursuit of excellence. I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to PR Sreejesh for his stellar career and invaluable contributions to Indian hockey. His legacy will inspire future generations." (ANI)
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