- Dhanraj Pillay
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Dhanraj Pillay 
Personal information Full name Dhanraj Pillay Date of birth 16 July 1968 Place of birth Kirkee, Pune, Maharashtra, India Playing position Forward Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1992-1993 Indian Gymkhana 78 (78) 1993 HC Lyon 1994-1997 Selangor HA 7 (8) 1997-1999 Abahani Ltd. 2000 HTC Stuttgart Kickers 2000-2001 Bank Simpanan Nasional HC 2002 Arthur Andersen HC 2002 Singapore Hockey Federation 2004 Ernst & Young HC 2005 Telekom Malaysia HC National team 1989– India 258 (280) HonoursCompetitor for 
IndiaMen's field hockey Champions Challenge Gold Kuala Lumpur 2001 Team * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Dhanraj Pillay (Marathi: धनराज पिल्लै, Tamil: தன்ராஜ் பிள்ளை) (born 16 July 1968) is a field hockey player and former captain of the Indian hockey team. He is currently the manager of the Indian Hockey team. Also he is a member of the adhoc committee of Indian Hockey Federation, formed after the suspension of Kanwar Pal Singh Gill.[1]
Contents
Personal life
Dhanraj was born as the fourth son of Tamil parents Nagalingam Pillay and Andalamma at Khadki in Maharashtra. As a bachelor, he lived in Powai while his parents lived in Khadki in Maharashtra.[2]
He is fluent in Marathi, Tamil (his mother tongue), Hindi and English.
Early life
Pillay spent his youth in the Ordnance Factory staff colony where his father was a groundsman. Playing on the soft, muddy surface of the OFK ground with his brothers and friends from the colony, he learnt his skills with broken sticks and discarded hockey balls, imitating the style of legendary forward and idol, Mohammed Shahid. His mother, whom he gives all the credit for his success, encouraged all her five sons to play hockey despite leading a hand-to-mouth existence.
Dhanraj moved to Mumbai in the mid-eighties to join his elder brother Ramesh, who was playing for RCF in the Mumbai League. Ramesh had already played for India in international matches and his guidance helped Dhanraj develop as a potent, speedy striker. He then moved over to Mahindra & Mahindra where he was tutored by the then Indian coach, Joaquim Carvalho.[3]
Debut
Dhanraj Pillay's debut in international hockey was in 1989 when he represented the nation in the Allwyn Asia Cup in New Delhi.[4]
International career
Dhanraj Pillay, whose career spanned from December 1989 to August 2004, played 339 international matches. The Indian Hockey Federation did not keeps official statistics for the goals scored. There is no credible information on the number of International goals scored by Dhanraj. He scored around 170 goals in his career, according to him as well as leading staticians in the world. He is the only player to have played in four Olympics (1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004), four World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002), four Champions Trophies (1995, 1996, 2002, and 2003), and four Asian Games (1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002). India won the Asian Games (1998) and Asia Cup (2003) under his captaincy. He was also the highest goal scorer in the Bangkok Asian Games and was the only Indian player to figure in the World Eleven side during the 1994 World Cup at Sydney.
Club Hockey
He has also played for foreign clubs like the Indian Gymkhana (London), HC Lyon (France), BSN HC & Telekom Malaysia HC (Malaysia), Abhahani Limited (Dhaka), HTC Stuttgart Kickers (Germany) and Khalsa Sports Club (Hong Kong). Towards the end of his career Dhanraj played in the Premier Hockey League for the Maratha Warriors for two seasons.
Awards
He is the recipient of India's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for the year 1999-2000. He was awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award in 2000. Dhanraj is one of the most gifted forwards of his era with a small frame and flowing locks, he could wreak havoc in rival defences. He was the winning captain of the victorious Asian Games 2002 hockey team.[4] He was awarded the player of the tournament award in the 2002 Champions trophy held at Cologne, Germany.
Pillay is currently involved in trying to start a hockey academy at Bombay. To raise funds for his academy he is heading a drive to collect empty plastic printer cartridges in Bombay and sell them to a European recycling firm.[5]
Controversiess
Dhanraj is often described as mercurial and has had his share of controversies. Time and again, he has vented this ire against the Hockey Management. He was not selected for the Indian team after the triumph at the Bangkok Asiad. The official reason given was that Dhanraj and 6 other senior players were rested. But it was largely seen as a retaliation for his outburst against the management for improper reception and non-payment of match fees. He protested against the low team stipend on overseas tours before the 1998 series against Pakistan.[3] On receipt of the Khel Ratna, Pillai commented, "The award will help erase some bitter memories."[6]
His plans to start a hockey academy at Mumbai have not taken off fully as Bombay Hockey Association has refused to allow its astroturf facility to be used for training.[7]
Biography
A biography titled "Forgive me Amma (Mother)" has been released. Journalist Sundeep Misra, who had tracked his career spanning almost three decades, has written the book.[8]
Notes and references
- ^ "KPS Gill sacked as Indian hockey chief". Hindustan Times. 2008-04-28. http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=90876764-7915-4961-a538-14a4fc12135f&&Headline=KPS+Gill+sacked+as+Indian+hockey+chief. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ "Wizard of the Dribble". Bharatiyahockey.org. 2002-09-08. http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/khiladi/dhanraj/wizard.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ a b "Wizard of the Dribble". Bharatiyahockey.org. 2002-09-08. http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/khiladi/dhanraj/wizard.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ a b "Dhanraj Pillai". Bharatiyahockey.org. 1968-07-15. http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/khiladi/2000/dhanraj.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ Jun 25, 2001, 12.51am IST (2001-06-25). "Dhanraj Pillay to set up new hockey academy - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1038949398.cms. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ "Profile: Dhanraj Pillai: Dribbling Towards Gold". India-today.com. http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20000731/profile.html. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ "The Hindu : Pillay's project suffers setback". Hinduonnet.com. 2001-07-22. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/07/22/stories/0722051f.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ "Forgive me Amma : The Life and Times of Dhanraj Pillay". Easternbookcorporation.com. http://www.easternbookcorporation.com/moreinfo.php?txt_searchstring=13800. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
External links
Categories:- 1968 births
- Living people
- Indian field hockey players
- Olympic field hockey players of India
- Field hockey players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Field hockey players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Field hockey players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- People from Maharashtra
- Recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
- Recipients of the Padma Shri
- Tamil sportspeople
- People from Pune
- Recipients of the Arjuna Award
- Sportspeople from Maharashtra
- Asian Games medalists in hockey
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