Dhanraj Pillay (born July 16, 1968) is considered to be one of the best forwards of hockey in the world. His international debut in hockey was in 1989 when he represented the India in the Allwyn Asia Cup in New Delhi. He won so many national and international awards for his brilliant performances. He became the captain of the Indian hockey team. Pillay is currently the manager of the Indian hockey team and a member of the Indian Hockey Federation.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Dhanraj Pillay is the highest goal scorer in the Bangkok Asian Games. During the 1994 World Cup, he was a member of the World Eleven. In 1999, he received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest award of India’s sporting honor. In 2000, he was awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award.
Why Was He So Good?
Dhanraj Pillay was a lively and captivating player. His wonder is everlasting and can simply puncture through any protection, any time. He has impressive dribbling skills – he’s so fast that he can go past players even those who are younger than him. Pillaj always had that driven and passion for the game.
What You May Not Know
- Dhanraj is trying to start a hockey academy at Mumbai. He is raising funds for his academy by collecting empty plastic printer cartridges in Mumbai and selling them to a European recycling firm.
- When he was younger, he used to copy the style of aggressive dribbler Mohammed Shahid.
- Dhanraj’s mother used to encourage him a lot that he loved the game and tried his hardest to excel even after not belonging to a financially-capable family.