“This is my last international tournament,” said the ever-smiling, long-serving PR Sreejesh as he gets set to bring the curtain down on a glorious 18-year-long career at the Paris Olympics.

He would have by then attained the rare distinction of being the first Indian goalkeeper to feature in four Olympics.

The journey from Kochi to an Olympic medal in Tokyo was not easy for Sreejesh, who made his senior debut in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Colombo, as he often lost his place to seniors like Baljit Singh, Adrian D’Souza and Bharat Chettri.

But luck finally smiled on him in 2009, albeit in a strange way. Baljit suffered a career-ending freak eye injury and the lanky goalkeeper from Kerala grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

“This (Olympics) is my last tournament,” Sreejesh said from Paris.

While Baljit’s injury gave Sreejesh’s career a fresh lease of life, his mind-reading abilities and understanding of the game helped him attain great heights.

Sreejesh, 36, was part of the team that won two Asian Games gold, two Commonwewalth Games silver and four Asian Champions Trophy gold medals. He has about 100-odd medals and awards adorning his trophy cabinet.

But for Sreejesh, the bronze in Tokyo after 41 years is his most cherished possession, which he now wants to improve in his last dance in Paris.

“Expectations rise if you perform and that’s good, as it gives us confidence. Take it positively and don’t take too much pressure. Personally, I want to perform better than last time and help change the colour of the medal,” he said.

“Now it’s time for the family; I will plan according to their comfort because all these years they have sacrificed a lot for me. I discuss it with the kids, my wife and parents. If they allow me, I will work at the grassroots level,” he signed off.