P. R. Sreejesh Height, Age, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full name	Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh [1]The Times of India
Names earned	The Wall of Indian Hockey
Nickname	PR
Profession(s)	Retired Field Hockey Player, Hockey Coach
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 183 cm in meters- 1.83 m in feet & inches- 6’
Weight (approx.)	in kilograms- 79 kg in pounds- 174 lbs
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Hockey
International Debut	South Asian Games 2006, Colombo
Retirement	8 August 2024
Jersey Number	India 16
Coach(s)/Mentor(s)	• M. Arif Ahmed Farhath [Club] • Terry Walsh [National] • Jayakumar • Ramesh Kolappa • Harendra Singh
Position	Goalkeeper
Medals	Gold • 2014: Asian Game held in Incheon Silver • 2014: Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow • 2016: Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy held in London Bronze • 2015: Men’s FIH Hockey World League held in Raipur • 2024: Paris Olympics
Achievements	• 'Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament' 2013 Asia Cup, Malaysia • 'Goalkeeper of the Tournament’ 2014 Champions Trophy, India
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Padma Shri (2017) • Arjuna Award (2015) • Baljith Singh Goalkeeper of the Year Award (2014) • Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2021) • FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award (2021, 2022, 2024)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	8 May 1986 (Thursday) [2]Sree Narayana College Kollam
Age (as of 2024)	38 Years
Birthplace	Kizhakkambalam, Kerala
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Kizhakkambalam, Kerala
School	St. Antony's Lower Primary School, Kizhakkambalam St. Joseph High School, Kizhakkambalam
College/University	Sree Narayana College, Kollam, Kerala
Educational Qualifications	Graduation in History
Ethnicity	Malayali [3]Instagram-P. R. Sreejesh
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian
Hobbies	Reading Books, Cooking
Tattoo	Tribal Tattoo on left shoulder
Controversy	P. R. Sreejesh was allegedly charged an extra Rs 1500 by the AirAsia for carrying his equipment bag that was not even over the stipulated weight limit while returning from Malaysia after winning the Asian Champions Trophy 2016. P. R. Sreejesh took it to to Twitter and tweeted a picture of the bill quoting "extra charges for the sports equipment bag which come below 15kg ??Are they expecting me to carry makeup kit?? ..funny concept @AirAsia"
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	12 May 2013
Marriage Place	Maha Vishnu Temple at Kizhakambalam
Family
Wife/Spouse	Aneeshya (Former long jumper and an Ayurveda doctor)
Children	Son- Sreeansh Daughter- Anusree
Parents	Father- P. V. Raveendran (Farmer) Mother- Usha (Homemaker)
Siblings	Brother- Sreejith Parattu Raveendran (Real estate agent )
Favourites
Hockey Players	Adrian Albert D'souza, Baljit Dadwal, Dhanraj Pillay
Athlete	P. T. Usha
Cricketer	Sachin Tendulkar
Cusine	South Indian
Food	Sambar Rice
Beverage	Filter Coffee

Some Lesser Known Facts About P. R. Sreejesh

• P. R. Sreejesh is an Indian professional hockey player positioned as a goalkeeper in the national team. He is the recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award (2015) and the Padma Shri (2017).

• During his childhood, P. R. Sreejesh was fond of playing sports whether it be long jump, volleyball, or sprinting. When he was 12 his parents enrolled him at GV Raja Sports School in Thiruvananthapuram, a school where Sreejesh could get more exposure to sports.
  

  P. R. Sreejesh’s childhood picture

• Sreejesh’s couch at GV Raja Sports School suggested him to take up hockey as his professional sport but Sreejesh was not impressed with his idea then. Talking about choosing hockey, P. R. Sreejesh, in an interview, said,
  

  Hockey was the last resort. Growing up, I was on the heavier side. I had tried shot put but I didn’t have the power. I didn’t have the athleticism to be good in basketball and volleyball, but being a hockey goalkeeper suited my physique. Surprisingly, I was rather good at it.”

• After trying his hand in a number of sports, P. R. Sreejesh opted for hockey when the hockey coach at the sports school, Jayakumar, choose him to play in the school team as the goalkeeper for the hockey team. After that, Sreejesh played in several interschool and state-level tournaments. P. R. Sreejesh’s first major tournament that he played was the Nehru Cup.

• P. R. Sreejesh made it to the Junior national team in 2004 and played his first match against Australia held in Perth. In 2006, Sreejesh became part of the senior national team playing his debut match at the 2006 South Asian Games in Colombo.

• During the initial phase of his career, Sreejesh did not perform extraordinarily good and was made to sit in the stands as a substitute player. He came into the limelight after he made a historic defence of a penalty stroke against Pakistan in the 2011 Asian Champions Trophy Final.

• P. R. Sreejesh played a vital role in making India win at the Asia Cup of 2013. His outstanding performance as a goalkeeper also earned him the title of “Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament'” 2013 Asia Cup, Malaysia.
  

  P. R. Sreejesh with his team at the 2013 Asia Cup

• In 2014, Sreejesh’s presence of mind and activeness in the field helped the Indian hockey team to earn a gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games. Sreejesh was honoured with the “Goalkeeper of the Tournament” 2014 Champions Trophy, India after the tournament.

• On 13th July 2016, P. R. Sreejesh was appointed as the captain of the Indian Hockey Team. India played several international tournaments including the 2016 Rio Olympics under his leadership. The Indian team made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which was a great achievement for the Indian hockey team. Under his captaincy, Indian team won a silver medal in the 2016 Champions Trophy, but due to his under average performance as a goalkeeper in the team he was replaced by Manpreet Singh for the upcoming tournaments.

• In 2018, he again proved his efficiency on the field by directing India to a silver medal in Breda Champions Trophy and a bronze medal in the Jakarta Asian Games.

• P. R. Sreejesh also played a long career as a club player. He was bought by Mumbai Magicians for US$38,000 and played for Mumbai Magicians from 2013 to 2015 in Hockey India League matches. Next, he played for UP Wizards for US$69,000 in 2015.

• In 2018, P. R. Sreejesh suffered from ACL, MCL, and meniscus injuries on his right knee, for which he had to stay away from the field for a duration of more than eight months and he even had to learn how to walk again. Sreejesh made his comeback on the field when he travelled to New Zealand for a four-nation test series.

• In 2021, P. R. Sreejesh lead team India to win a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under his leadership. This is the first medal after 1980 to be won by the Indian hockey team at any Olympic tournament.

• A road in Sreejesh’s town is named after him for his contribution to Indian Hockey.
  

  P. R. Sreejesh standing under the signboard mentioning a road named after him

• P. R. Sreejesh loves reading books in his leisure time.
  

  P. R. Sreejesh showing his books collection

• P. R. Sreejesh has walked the runway as a model for many clothing brands.
  

  P. R. Sreejesh walking down the runway

• On 8 August 2024, Sreejesh announced his retirement before India’s match for the Bronze medal in the Paris Olympics. He penned an emotional note while announcing it on social media and said,
  

  Today, I play my last match for India. Every save, every dive, every roar of the crowd will forever echo in my soul. Thank you, India, for believing in me, for standing by me. This is not the end, but the beginning of cherished memories.”

• Soon after he announced his retirement, Hockey India appointed him as the head coach of the junior men’s team. He had earlier expressed his desire to work as a coach for the Indian team.

• He was later selected to lead the Indian contingent as a flag bearer, alongside Manu Bhaker, in the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

• In August 2024, Hockey India announced the retirement of jersey no. 16 from the senior men’s team as a tribute to PR Sreejesh. Talking about it, the senior men’s team, secretary general of Hockey India said,
  

  We will retain it in the juniors so that he can create many more Sreejesh.”