Spoilsports at play

Instead of gearing up for the Athens Olympics in August this year, Indian hockey is riddled with controversy. Amardeep Bhattal, who has been following Dhanraj Pillay’s fortunes, reports on the player in the eye of the storm.

VERSATILE hockey star Dhanraj Pillay today represents the best in Indian hockey. Charged with passion for the national game ever since his debut in the Allwyn Asia Cup in New Delhi in 1989, Pillay has, over the years, carved out a niche for himself through sheer artistry on the hockey turf. Be it at Peshawar’s Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium or the Astroturf at Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Jalil, Pillay has mesmerised crowds and won the hearts of friends and foes alike. Cries of "Pillay, Pillay" have often been heard whenever he has been in the thick of action. During the 2002 World Cup at Kuala Lumpur, a child sitting in the stands kept chanting his name until he managed to draw his attention. The storm raised over his omission from the list of probables for the Athens Olympics is, therefore, hardly surprising. Reactions ranging from individual protests to public outbursts have come from every quarter. Sportspersons and administrators cutting across disciplines have vent their fury at the Indian Hockey Federation. Former cricket star Bishen Singh Bedi, President of the Indian Olympic Association Suresh Kalmadi, track and field queen Sunita Rani, cricketer Anil Kumble, besides scores of former Olympians like Pargat Singh have questioned the rationale behind sidelining experienced players like Pillay and Baljit Singh Dhillon.

What sets Pune-born Pillay apart from the rest? A veteran of four World Cups, three Olympics, and four Asian Games, Pillay’s unique style of unrelenting attack has often invoked fear in opponents. However, his emotional outbursts and spontaneous flow of feelings have, at times, landed him in the thick of controversy. Charging into hostile stands with the Tricolour after sensational wins over teams like Pakistan, standing up boldly for players’ legitimate rights, and mustering courage to expose what he calls ill-conceived policies of team management after debacles have seen him falling out of favour quite often. His omission is also being attributed to his reported differences with the present coach Rajinder Singh.

The 2002 World Cup debacle at Kuala Lumpur, where India finished 10th, left him angry and frustrated. An emotional Pillay could not keep mum over the sordid happenings. On our way home aboard the Malaysia Airlines flight on March 10, 2002, I asked Pillay whether all was well with the team. His grim expression and carefully chosen words clearly indicated that buried deep inside him was anger against the team management. His pent-up feelings ultimately found expression at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, where a special counter had been set up to facilitate speedy check-out of the hockey team.

A sarcastic remark by the woman manning the counter over India’s poor performance had Pillay seething. "Yes, we have lost but we have not sold our country’s pride," he shouted even as Customs and Immigration officials rushed forward to pacify him. Pillay’s subsequent disclosures were, indeed, startling. "There are times when performances are weakened by conditions contrived by human forces. Coach Cedric D’Souza believed in the divide-and-rule policy and despite tall claims of unity, the team at Kuala Lumpur was fragmented," he said while the rest of his teammates chose to keep mum.

India’s historic Asia Cup win under Pillay’s captaincy at Kuala Lumpur on September 28, 2003, was followed by another row and the mercurial forward’s omission from the list of probables for the Athens Olympics is being linked to his public spat with Rajinder Singh. When the Indian team arrived at the Chennai airport on September 29, a verbal duel between Pillay and Rajinder ensued after restrictions were sought to be put on the players’ interaction with the media. "I am the captain and I am speaking on behalf of the team. I am not seeking publicity for myself ," he said. The spat soured the team’s homecoming but IHF Secretary-general K. Jothikumaran was quick in launching a damage-control exercise.

Pillay’s rise from the streets of Pune to the international arena has been phenomenal. Ever since his debut in the Asia Cup at New Delhi in 1989, he has never looked back and has been a regular member of the Indian team except for brief spells when he was rested after the Bangkok Asian Games, or more recently, for the Australian tour or the Afro-Asian Games. His name is also familiar in countries like Malaysia, France, and Germany. He played in the French League from 1993 to 1998 after having represented the Indian Gymkhana in London in 1992. Thereafter, he played in the German and Malaysian leagues.

One of four sons of Nagalingam Pillay, an employee of Mahindras, Dhanraj Pillay, born on July 16, 1968, has literally inherited a legacy of hockey. Employed as Assistant Manager (Commercial) with Indian Airlines, Pilllay fondly remembers the historic moment when India won the gold in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. "That victory will remain etched in my memory," he had said while talking to The Tribune at Parwanoo some time back.

I learnt the secret of Pillay’s versatility during the 10th World Cup at Kuala Lumpur in 2002. While other members of the team followed the normal routine on and off the field, Pillay valued sleep more than anything else after gruelling sessions, even skipping his lunch at times. Despite stupendous achievements and public acclaim, Pillay remains ever a team man. When promising defender Jugraj Singh met with a near-fatal road accident at Jalandhar a few days after his lion-hearted performance in the Champions Trophy at Amstelveen last year, Pillay was among the first to rush to Ludhiana’s Dayanand Medical College and Hospital to enquire about his well-being. At the fitness camp organised at Barog, he was again the cynosure of all eyes. Although age is now against him, hockey experts feel that Pillay can still be useful in bolstering attack. He may not be able to give his best for the entire 70-minute duration of the game but by the rolling substitution method, he can be introduced for brief spells. As one expert has pointed out, his mere presence can unsettle opponents. After all, experience does count in an event as big as the Olympics.

Here is one player who has redefined Indian hockey through sheer brilliance in a career spanning one-and-a-half decades. Though drawing comparisons with the legendary Dhyan Chand would be grossly inappropriate, the fact remains that like him Pillay’s contribution to Indian hockey, too, will inspire future generations. Such has been his passion that he can shed blood and tears to drive home a point, he can lift sagging spirits when all hope seems to be lost and can come up with a breathtaking show single-handedly to shape his team’s destiny. When will there be such another?

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