EXCLUSIVE | Amit Rohidas On Now-Retired PR Sreejesh: ‘Will Miss Him Especially During PC Defense’

New Delhi: The bonding between a goalkeeper and a defender in hockey is like brothers in arms. Considered as the splendid line of safety, a goalkeeper’s considered as needed jobs is to retailer pushing the discipline avid gamers and delivers inputs from the lower to come again – be it internal the midfield, internal the ‘D’ or at some stage in the penalty corners. The retirement of PR Sreejesh has left a gigantic void internal the Indian men’s hockey crew’s backline.

One amongst the brotherly figures internal the Indian crew for just about two decades, Sreejesh had modified the paintings of goalkeeping in his manner over the years, leaving a lengthy-lasting affect, consequently turning into an thought for the childhood. For defender Amit Rohidas, the Indian safety line will omit Sreejesh’s inputs.

“I've performed many years with Sreejesh bhai. We used to have great conversations with him, be it for a Penalty Corner safety or on every match we felt caught, we used to ask him what to do and he used to small print us. I may definitely omit him, vastly at some stage in the PC safety,” Rohidas instructed India.com in an one-of-a-sort interplay on the sidelines of Sreejesh’s farewell prepared by utilising Hockey India on Wednesday internal the Capital.

“Goalkeeping is this adaptation of job where the goalkeeper analyses the implemented online game from the lower to come again and he affords us rules as what to do. On every match we used to concede a PC, I might go to him and ask “bhai kya karna hae?”. Now that he has retired, I may omit that the predominant,” brought Rohidas.

Having made his debut in 2006, Sreejesh drew curtains to an 18-12 months occupation which blanketed four Olympics and two Asian Video games gold medals. Sreejesh turned into an side of the Indian crew that won bronze medals in Tokyo (2020) and Paris (2024). In all Sreejesh represented India in 336 video games.

Requested about a diverse moment with Sreejesh, Rohidas failed to elect one. “I am very at ease for Sreejesh bhai. I thank Hockey India for organizing this adaptation of farewell match for Sreejesh bhai just because we have acquired never obvious some thing like this formerly than. Every moment that I've spent with Sreejesh bhai turned into diverse just because fiddling with this adaptation of senior player in itself is a blessing,” brought the Odisha-lad.

One amongst the medal contenders in Paris, the Indian crew suffered a gigantic setback when Rohidas turned into crimson-carded in opposition to Great Britain internal the quarterfinals. As a culmination, the 29-12 months-ancient couldn’t attribute in opposition to Germany internal the semifinals.

Talking on the crimson-card container, Rohidas gave credit to his teammates for the manner they fought internal the semifinals. “It’s now not me then over as soon as more the implemented usa is conversing about it. We performed definitely neatly internal the semifinals, created a sort of opportunities then over as soon as more we couldn’t convert and the coloration of the medal may want to were diverse and we'd have performed the final,” he cited.

“I considered as important to play that semifinal then over as soon as more couldn’t as I turned into banned. If I had performed internal the semifinal, some thing diverse would have acquired here about,” brought Rohidas, who grew to be the first hockey player from Odisha to win two Olympic medals.