Dhanraj Pillai

When I learnt that kids as young as 6 yr. old compete at the world championship and shoot under-par scores I could not believe my ears. Obviously we have found someone, who is thinking ahead and catching them young. Thanks, GolfRiTe.' – Dhanraj Pillai

Dhanraj Pillai was born on the 16th of July 1968 at Kirkee, a small town near Pune in Maharastra. He was born into a family of modest means; his father was a groundsman at the ordinance factory Kirkee. His meteoric rise to greatness started from those soft, muddy grounds when he started picking up the nuances of the game along with his brother and friends in the colony. He started out with broken Hockey Sticks and discarded hockey balls, imitating the style of the legendary forward and former India Captain, Mohammad Shahid.

In his passion for his game, his mother stood by him encouraging him to pick up the skills of hockey by which he has gladdened the hearts of millions of hockey fans all over the world. Continuing his obsession with his game, he moved to Mumbai to join his elder brother, Ramesh Pillay, who was already playing for RCF. His brother later turned out for India and guided Dhanraj to become one of the most feared centre-forwards in the World. As his formidable talents started flowering, he was picked by Mahindra & Mahindra, were he was taught the finer points of hockey by Joaquim Carvalho. His natural talent shone through and it was only a matter of time before he took his rightful place in Indian team when he represented India in Asia cup in 1989.

His consistency made him play 3 Olympic Games, 3 World Cups, and 4 Asian games. His mercurial skills have been in demand the world; for example by clubs such as Indian Gymkhana(London), FC Lyon(France), Selangor (Kuala Lumpur), Abhanani Ltd (Dhaka), and Stuttgart kickers(Stuttgart). He was the captain of the Indian team that won the gold at the Bangkok Asian Games after 32 years. He was also the highest Goal Scorer at these games. He is the only Indian player to figure in the world eleven side during the 1994 World Cup held at Sydney.

Recognition has flowed in for him fast and thick. He has been decorated with numerous prestigious awards such as Arjuna Award (1995), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (1999), and the Padmashri (2000).

He has been a catalyst in bringing back media attention to Hockey with his outspoken comments on the game. Due to his strenuous efforts the Indian hockey team is being sponsored by Sahara India, enhancing the profile of the team. He is also one of the few hockey players, who have a personal contract with Percept ?D? mark which fetches him approximately Rs 25 Lakh a year.

He is 5 ft 8 inches tall but stands taller due to his passion for the game. He is also a bachelor and is married to the dream of being a part of an Olympic Gold Medal wining team. We hope his dream comes true and India can restore its rightful position of being the number one hockey team in the world.