India ended a 41-year medal drought in Olympic hockey with a 5-4 win over Germany in Tokyo on Thursday. Keralite goalkeeper P R Sreejesh played his part in the Indian win with a number of vital saves in the bronze medal match.
Sreejesh became just the second Keralite after Manuel Fredericks to clinch an Olympic medal.
Sreejesh, playing in his third Olympics, was in stunning form in Tokyo. At 33, this could well be Sreejesh's final Olympics. Sreejesh was also part of the Indian team which won gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games.
Fredericks was the goalkeeper of the Indian team which won bronze medal at Munich 1972. The 73-year-old Fredericks, who hails from Burnassery in Kannur, guarded the Indian goal in two World Cups and was part of the team which won silver in the 1973 edition.
Karnataka was his adopted state and he used to coach schoolchildren in Bengaluru. The Kerala government built a home for Fredericks at Palliyanmoola in Kannur in 2019 taking into account his struggles.
