P.R. Sreejesh
India's hockey goalkeeper "The Wall", who won Olympic bronze at Tokyo and Paris, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
For nearly two decades, P.R. Sreejesh guarded India’s goal so well that fans called him “The Wall”. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Bhushan in the field of sports, from Kerala [2]. He had received the Padma Shri in 2017 [1][3].
From a farming family
Sreejesh was born on 8 May 1988 in Kizhakkambalam, Ernakulam district, into a farming family [3]. He took up hockey at 12 at the G.V. Raja Sports School in Thiruvananthapuram [3]. He debuted for India’s junior team in 2004 and the senior team in 2006 [3].
Four Olympics
He played in four Olympic Games, four World Cups, three Commonwealth Games and three Asian Games [3]. He led India at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was central to India’s bronze medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 [3]. He also won Commonwealth Games silver in 2022 [3].
He is the only goalkeeper to have been named FIH Goalkeeper of the Year three times, in 2021, 2022 and 2024 [3]. He received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021 [3]. After retiring as a player, he became coach of India’s junior men’s team [3].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards Directory (1954-2017) — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [3] Padma Awards 2025: citation for P.R. Sreejesh — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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