Dhanraj Pillay

Last updated

Dhanraj Pillay
Dhanraj Pillay.jpg
Pillay in 2010
Personal information
Full name Dhanraj Pillay
Born (1968-07-16) 16 July 1968 (age 56)
Khadki, Pune, Maharastra, India
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) [1]
Playing position Forward
Senior career
YearsTeam
1992–1993 Indian Gymkhana
1993 HC Lyon
1994–1997 Selangor HA
1997–1999 Abahani Ltd.
2000 HTC Stuttgart Kickers
2000–2001 Bank Simpanan Nasional HC
2002 Arthur Andersen HC
2002 Singapore Hockey Federation
2006–2008 Maratha Warriors
2012 Karnataka Lions
2004 Ernst & Young HC
2005 Telekom Malaysia HC
National team
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1989–2004 India 400 (170)
Medal record
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
Men's field hockey
Champions Challenge
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2001 Kuala Lumpur Team
Asia Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2003 Kuala Lumpur Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1989 Delhi Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1994 Hiroshima Team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1999 Kuala Lumpur Team
Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1998 Bangkok Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1990 Beijing Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1994 Hiroshima Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Busan Team

Dhanraj Pillay (born 16 July 1968) is a retired Indian field hockey player and former captain of the India national team. He also looks after the Air India Sports Promotion Board as a Joint Secretary based in Mumbai. For the last 5 years, Dhanraj is overseeing the SAG Hockey Academy in Gujarat funded by the Gujarat Government. He is widely regarded as one of the best Indian players of hockey. [2]

Contents

Pillay born to a Tamil family made his debut in 1989 with the national team and in a career spanning over 15 years, appeared for India in four Olympic Games, World Cups and Champion Trophies each. He made 400 appearances for the national team and is recorded, unofficially, to have scored 170 goals. [3] He also played for clubs in countries such as Malaysia, France, England and Germany. [4] Recognizing his achievements, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India in 2000.

International career

Dhanraj Pillay, whose career spanned from December 1989 to August 2004, played 400 international matches. The Indian Hockey Federation did not keep 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 both him and leading statisticians in the world. [5] 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 in Sydney.

Club Hockey

He has also played for foreign clubs like the Indian Gymkhana (London), HC Lyon (France), BSN HC & Telekom Malaysia HC (Malaysia), Abahani Limited, 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.

Dhanraj Pillay turned up for the Karnataka Lions in the World Series Hockey being played in India. He scored two goals for his team, captained by ex-India captain Arjun Halappa. He also played for Indian Airlines in Beighton Cup. [6] He is currently the coach of the same team.

Awards

He is the recipient of India's highest sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award for the year 1999–2000. He was awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award in 2001. [7] He was the captain of the 1998 Asian Games and 2003 Asia Cup winning hockey team. He was awarded the player of the tournament award in the 2002 Champions trophy held at Cologne, Germany. In 2017, East Bengal Club conferred Pillay with Bharat Gaurav award. [8] [9]

Controversies

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. On receipt of the Khel Ratna, Pillay commented, "The award will help erase some bitter memories". [10]

His plans to start a hockey academy at Mumbai have not taken off fully as Mumbai Hockey Association has refused to allow its astroturf facility to be used for training. [11]

Biography

Pillay's biography, Forgive Me Amma, written by journalist Sundeep Misra, who tracked his career for over two decades, released in 2007. [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhyan Chand</span> Indian field hockey player (1905–1979)

Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded by many as the greatest field hockey player in world history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated field hockey. His influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignace Tirkey</span> Indian field hockey player

Ignacious "Ignace" Tirkey is an Indian field Hockey player. He plays as a Fullback and has captained the Indian team.

Subhash Bhowmick was an Indian football player and manager. During his playing career, he represented the "Big Two" of Kolkata football, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. He also represented India in various international tournaments between 1970 and 1985.

Mohammed Shahid was an Indian field hockey forward. He is considered one of India's best to have played the game and was known for his dribbling skills. He was a member of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. He was awarded Arjuna Award in 1980–1981 and Padma Shri in 1986.

Leslie Walter Claudius was an Indian field hockey player from Bilaspur. He studied in South Eastern Railway English Medium School Bilaspur, which has produced many national sportsmen.

Gurbux ("Gurbakhsh") Singh is a former Indian field hockey player who was a member of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics, the bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the gold medal at the 1966 Asian Games. He was the joint captain of the Indian team at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He was also the coach of the Indian team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. For his outstanding contribution to the country in the field of sports, Gurbux received the Arjuna Award in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dilip Tirkey</span> Indian field hockey player

Dilip Tirkey, is a former captain of the Indian field hockey team, politician and sports administrator. He was awarded Padma Shree in 2004. Currently he is the president of Hockey India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. K. Banerjee</span> Indian footballer and coach (1936–2020)

Pradip Kumar BanerjeeFIFAOM was an Indian professional footballer who played as a striker for the India national football team. He also captained the national team and later on became the coach of the national team. He represented India in 52 official matches and scored 16 official goals for the country. He was one of the first recipients of Arjuna Award, when the awards were instituted in 1961. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri in 1990 and was named Indian Footballer of the 20th century by IFFHS. In 2004, he was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit, the highest honour awarded by FIFA.

Mahmoud Amnah is a Syrian footballer who plays as a midfielder. He has earned 80 caps for the Syria national team between 2002 and 2011, scoring 20 goals. He last played for Calcutta Football League side Southern Samity.

J.M. (Joaquim) Carvalho is an Indian former field hockey player, Olympian, captain of the Indian Hockey Team, and Men's National Team coach. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neville D'Souza</span> Indian footballer (1932–1980)

Neville Steven Joseph D'Souza was an Indian footballer who played as a striker. During the "golden era of Indian football" under legendary coach Syed Abdul Rahim, he was recognised one of the finest strikers of India national team having perfect eye for goal. He appeared in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and finished the campaign as joint top scorer of the tournament with four goals, inducing a hat-trick in the quarterfinals against the hosts Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sardara Singh</span> Indian field hockey player

Sardara Singh, sometimes referred as Sardar Singh, is an Indian field hockey coach and former field hockey player. He also served as the captain of the Indian national team. He usually plays the center half position. Sardara became the youngest player to captain the Indian team when he led the side at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2015. On 13 July 2016, the responsibilities of the captain were handed over from him to P. R. Sreejesh, the goalkeeper of Indian Team. On 12 September 2018, Sardara announced his retirement from international hockey. He played 314 matches during 12 years in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. R. Sreejesh</span> Indian field hockey player

Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh is a former Indian field hockey player who played as a goalkeeper and former captain of the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goal keepers in the history of hockey. Sreejesh played a vital role in the Indian national team's bronze medal wins at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.

Ahmed Mohammed Khan was an Indian footballer who played as a forward. He participated in the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics. He was also vice-captain of India from 1949 to 1954.

Len Aiyappa is an Indian professional field hockey player. He remained one of India's best drag-flickers until he retired from the national team following a fallout with the Indian Hockey Federation in 2006. He last played for India during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balbir Singh Sr.</span> Indian field hockey player (1923–2020)

Balbir Singh Dosanjh, predominantly known as Balbir Singh Sr., was an Indian hockey player and coach. He was a three-time Olympic gold medallist, having played a key role in India's wins in London (1948), Helsinki (1952), and Melbourne (1956) Olympics. He is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, a modern-day Dhyan Chand, a legend of the sport, and is widely regarded as the sport's greatest ever centre-forward. His Olympic record for most goals scored by an individual in an Olympic men's hockey final remains unbeaten. Singh set this record when he scored five goals in India's 6–1 victory over the Netherlands in the men's field hockey final of the 1952 Olympic Games. He was often called Balbir Singh Senior to distinguish him from other Indian hockey players named Balbir Singh. Singh scored 246 goals from just 61 international caps

The East Bengal Club Season Awards are the official East Bengal awards presented on 1 August to various recipients in the Foundation Day celebrations of the club. The Inaugural award was handed out in 2011 which had three categories the highlight 'Bharat Gourav Award', the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' and the 'Player of the Season Award'.

Arun Ghosh is a former Indian football player who represented India internationally. He also played club football for both the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal Club. He later managed the India national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calcutta Customs Club</span> Indian institutional multi-sports club from Kolkata

Calcutta Customs Club is an Indian institutional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is best known for its football section, which competes in the Calcutta Football League.

References

  1. "Dhanraj Pillay". Dimdima. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  2. "'This will be my last Olympics. I have to go all out and prove that I am the best'". rediff.com. 27 July 2000. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  3. "Dhanraj Pillay's 48th birthday: Some interesting facts that you should know". India Today. 15 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  4. Marar, Nandakumar (12 October 2002). "Power and magic". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 17 May 2003. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. "Dhanraj Pillai". bharatiyahockey.org. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  6. "Dhanraj gives Indian Airlines Beighton Cup".
  7. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  8. "East Bengal honours Dhanraj Pillay with Bharat Gaurav". The Hindu . 3 August 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  9. "Dhanraj Pillay conferred with Bharat Gaurav by East Bengal Football Club". Jagranjosh. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  10. "Profile: Dhanraj Pillai: Dribbling Towards Gold". India-today.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  11. "The Hindu: Pillay's project suffers setback". Hinduonnet.com. 22 July 2001. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. "Dhanraj Pillay eyes coaching role post-retirement". The Times of India. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  13. Ugra, Sharda (11 June 2007). "A Stick in Time". India Today. Retrieved 10 February 2017.