New Delhi: Hockey India on Wednesday decided to retire the jersey number of senior goalkeeping legend PR Sreejesh, who retired from the sport after playing a key role in leading the country to its second consecutive Olympic bronze medal at the recently-concluded Paris Olympic Games.
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said that from now on no senior team player will be given jersey number 16, although it will remain in use at the junior level.
He also announced that the affable 36-year-old who has competed for nearly two decades will take on the role of junior national coach. “Sreejesh is now going to coach the junior team and we are retiring the No. 16 jersey for the senior team. We are not retiring No. 16 for the junior team,” Singh said at a felicitation ceremony for the veteran and other team members.
He said, “Sreejesh the second will prepare Sreejesh for the junior team.”
The players present at the ceremony wore red jerseys with Sreejesh’s name on the back to pay respect to the veteran Kerala player.