New Delhi: Hockey India made the decision on Wednesday to retire P R Sreejesh's jersey number at the senior level. Sreejesh said goodbye to the sport after playing a major part in the nation's bronze medal at the Olympics in Paris.
The number 16 jersey will no longer be issued to senior team players, according to Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, however, it will still be available for junior players to wear.
He also announced that the affable 36-year-old, who competed for nearly two decades, will take up the role of the junior national coach.
"Sreejesh is now going to be the junior team coach and we are retiring the No. 16 jersey for the senior team. We are not retiring No. 16 for the junior team," said Singh at a felicitation function for the veteran and other members of the team.
"Sreejesh dusra Sreejesh ko paida karega in junior team (Sreejesh will groom someone like him in the junior team who will wear the No.16 jersey)," he added.
The players, who were present at the ceremony, wore identical red jerseys with Sreejesh's name on the back as a mark of respect for the veteran from Kerala.
With PTI inputs