Dhanraj Pillay facts for kids
Pillay in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Dhanraj Pillay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 July 1968 Khadki, Pune, Maharastra, India |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Indian Gymkhana | 78 | (200) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Maratha Warriors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Karnataka Lions | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–2004 | India | 400 | (170) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dhanraj Pillay was born on July 16, 1968. He is a famous retired Indian field hockey player. He also used to be the captain of the Indian national team. Many people think he is one of the best hockey players from India ever.
Dhanraj Pillay comes from a Tamil family. He started playing for the national team in 1989. His career lasted over 15 years. During this time, he played in four Olympic Games, four World Cups, and four Champion Trophies. He played about 400 matches for India. It is believed he scored around 170 goals. He also played for hockey clubs in other countries. These included Malaysia, France, England, and Germany. In 2000, the Indian government gave him the Padma Shri award for his amazing achievements.
Contents
Dhanraj Pillay's International Career
Dhanraj Pillay's international hockey career was very long. It lasted from December 1989 to August 2004. He played in 400 international matches for India. The Indian Hockey Federation did not keep official records of goals scored. However, it is thought that Dhanraj scored about 170 goals. This number comes from him and other top statisticians.
He is the only Indian player to have played in:
- Four Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004)
- Four World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002)
- Four Champions Trophies (1995, 1996, 2002, and 2003)
- Four Asian Games (1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002)
India won the Asian Games in 1998 under his leadership. They also won the Asia Cup in 2003 when he was captain. He scored the most goals at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. He was also the only Indian player chosen for the World Eleven team in the 1994 World Cup.
Playing for Clubs Around the World
Dhanraj Pillay also played for many clubs outside India. These clubs were in different countries.
Some of the clubs he played for include:
- Indian Gymkhana in London, England
- HC Lyon in France
- BSN HC and Telekom Malaysia HC in Malaysia
- Abahani Limited
- HTC Stuttgart Kickers in Germany
- Khalsa Sports Club in Hong Kong
Towards the end of his career, Dhanraj played in the Premier Hockey League. He played for the Maratha Warriors for two seasons. Later, he joined the Karnataka Lions in the World Series Hockey in India. He scored two goals for this team. The team was captained by another former India captain, Arjun Halappa. He also played for Indian Airlines in the Beighton Cup. Today, he is the coach for the Indian Airlines team.
Awards and Honors
Dhanraj Pillay has received many important awards. These awards recognize his great contributions to hockey.
- He received India's highest sports award, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. This was for the year 1999–2000.
- In 2001, he was given the Padma Shri. This is a special award for civilians in India.
- He was the captain of the team that won gold at the 1998 Asian Games.
- He also led the team to victory in the 2003 Asia Cup.
- In 2002, he was named the best player of the tournament. This was at the Champions Trophy in Cologne, Germany.
- In 2017, the East Bengal Club gave him the Bharat Gaurav award.
His Story: A Biography
A book about Dhanraj Pillay's life was released in 2007. It is called Forgive Me Amma. The book was written by Sundeep Misra. He is a journalist who followed Dhanraj's career for over twenty years.
