 "It has been nothing short of extraordinary: Sreejesh ahead of farewell tie")
Hours before his last hurrah, celebrated India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh described his international career as "nothing short of extraordinary" and expressed his gratitude to the countrymen for believing in him.
The 36-year-old from Kerala will hope to end his illustrious 18-year-long career with a medal when he steps on to the field for one last time along with his teammates in the bronze playoff against Spain in the Paris Olympics.
"As I stand between the posts for the final time, my heart swells with gratitude and pride. This journey, from a young boy with a dream to the man defending India's honour, has been nothing short of extraordinary," he wrote on 'X'.
"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.
"Forever a custodian of dreams."
Sreejesh had announced his retirement plans ahead of his fourth appearance at the Olympics.
The veteran goalkeeper has been in good form as he produced some sensational saves in the tournament, including two in the quarterfinal shoot-out against Great Britain, to help India seal a second consecutive Olympic semifinal spot.
He had played a pivotal role in India's bronze-medal winning feat at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
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After making his debut at the 2006 South Asian Games, Sreejesh was a part of various memorable wins for India, including a gold in the 2014 Asian Games and a bronze medal in the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta-Palembang.
He was also part of the Asian Champions Trophy-winning side in 2018, and the 2019 FIH Men's Series Finals champion team in Bhubaneswar.