Former Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was honoured with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award by President Droupadi Murmu for his outstanding contribution to the field of sports.
'President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Bhushan in the field of Sports to Shri Sreejesh P. R. He is a former Indian Hockey goalkeeper and the current Coach of the Junior Indian Hockey team. Sreejesh is widely known for the double Olympic Bronze medals and for being the only hockey goalkeeper in the world to win the prestigious FIH Goalkeeper of the Year thrice during his 22-year playing career,' the official X handle of President of India posted,
PR Sreejesh was among the 19 recipients of the Padma Bhushan in 2025, it's the third highest civilian honour.
The hockey great, who retired from the sport last year, is regarded as one of the most decorated players in Indian hockey history. Sreejesh played a pivotal role in India’s back-to-back Olympic medals in men’s hockey, leading from the front at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and proving nearly unstoppable during his final appearance at the Games in Paris last year.
The Padma Awards are among the highest civilian honours in India and are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards recognise exceptional achievements in various fields such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order, and the Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced annually on the occasion of Republic Day.
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