Aug 17, 2021, 6:28 PM IST
India is still celebrating its success in the Tokyo Olympics. Of the nation's seven medals, the bronze medal in hockey was exceptional, as India did after 41 years.
Among the team members, veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh played a pivotal role. Recently, he interacted with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as they both discussed Indian hockey's performance in Tokyo and the sport as a whole.
Following the same, Sreejesh also shared his experience of interacting with Modi, as he told Asianet News, "We all were glad to have met PM Modi. We got the chance to talk to him closely. However, he never let us feel that we were talking to PM. He spoke to us openly and freely, taking us to our comfort zone."
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"He came to us and wished out coach first. Then, he said that the entire nation was celebrating our victory. He also mentioned that of all the medals, the hockey medal always remains special for all the Indians. It was a great honour for us when he said that," he continued.
"Also, Modi added the name of Major Dhayanchand in front of the Khel Ratna Awards. Being hockey players, we feel highly honoured by this. Later, he also asked me if I had learnt Punjabi. I said that with most of the players hailing from Punjab in our team, I have learnt some of it, as I have been playing in the side for quite some time. Now, I need to teach my team members Malayalam," he concluded.
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