In a thrilling quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics, veteran Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh played a pivotal role in his team’s 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Great Britain. The match ended 1-1 in regulation time, with Sreejesh making several crucial saves to keep India in the game.
Sreejesh, who is playing in his last international tournament, was the star of the show. He denied Great Britain numerous scoring opportunities, including a penalty stroke in the second half. In the penalty shootout, he saved two shots to help India secure the win.
“It’s a daily job of a goalie,” Sreejesh said after the match. “Some days it’s a different effort, but today is our day. Even in the shootout, the guys who took shots didn’t disappoint.”
India played with great determination and unity, forcing the match into a penalty shootout. Sreejesh said it was a “do-or-die” situation for him, and he was ready to give it his all.
“When I stepped on this field today, there were two options for me,” he said. “This can be my last match, or I got an opportunity for two more matches, and I think, yeah, I got two more matches now.”
Sreejesh said India will focus on their own game in the semifinals. “Whoever comes in the semis, we (will) just play our game,” he said. “That’s it, that’s important, because now it’s a different game, because we are one man down and we need to focus on that now.”
India will wait for the FIH’s decision on the red card shown to Amit Rohidas with more than 40 minutes left in the game. “I don’t know how it’s going to be,” Sreejesh said. “They must take a decision on that. We are just waiting for that, but still, we need to play our best game in the semifinals.”
