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Dhanraj Pillay, ace Indian striker and the hero of many epic Indian
victories, the mercurial Dhanraj has been to Indian hockey what
Leander Paes has been to Indian tennis.
Dhanraj
fine-tuned his raw talent under the tutelage of elder brother Ramesh,
who himself was a former India international. After a fine stint
with his employers Mahindra & Mahindra and Mumbai in national
championships, Dhanraj was called for India duty in the Asia Cup
of 1989.
In
a glorious career spanning 15 years, Dhanraj has represented India
in four Summer Olympics ('92, '96, 2000, 2004), four World Hockey
Cups, four Champions Trophies, four Asian Games, and four Asia Cups.
For a long time, Dhanraj has been synonymous with Indian hockey
and his spirited efforts have kept the Indian tricolour flying high
in more occasions than one.
Dhanraj
was 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 at Sydney.
The
nation has profusely rewarded Dhanraj Pillay for his relentless
pursuit for excellence and his unflinching commitment to the Indian
cause. He has received the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
(1999) and been conferred with the coveted Padma Shri in 2000.
DOMESTIC
CIRCUIT
Teams Indian Airlines
Mahindra & Mahindra
City Mumbai
Position Centre-Forward
Awards Padma Shree (2001)
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (1999)
Arjuna Puraskar (1995)
TOURNAMENTS
Senior Nationals 1988 - Delhi
May 1997 - Bangalore (4th)
Junior Nationals 1985 - Manipur
National Games Dec 2002 - Hyderabad (2nd), 3 GOALS, Captain
Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Nov 2003 - Delhi (2nd)
Nov 2002 - Delhi (2nd)
Bombay Gold Cup Apr 2003 - Mumbai (1st)
Muruguppa Gold Cup Jul 2002 (1st) - Man of the Final, Forward of
Tourney
Jul 1999 (1st) - Man of The Final
July 1998 (2nd)
Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament Nov/Dec 2004 - Delhi (2nd)
Nov/Dec 2002 - Delhi (2nd)
INTERNATIONAL
CIRCUIT
Matches 400 (post 2003 Asia Cup)
Goals Between 130 and 170 goals (estimate)
International Debut 1989 - Allwyn Asia Cup - New Delhi (2nd)
Olympics Aug 2004 - Athens (7th), 2 GOALS
Sep 2000 - Sydney (7th), 1 GOAL
Jul/Aug 1996 - Atlanta (8th), 2 GOALS
Jul/Aug 1992 - Barcelona (7th)
World Cup Feb/Mar 2002 - Kuala Lumpur (10th), 2 GOALS
May 1998 - Utrecht (9th), 2 GOALS, CAPTAIN
Nov/Dec 1994 - Sydney (5th), 1 GOAL, Selected for World XI team
Feb 1990 - Lahore (10th), 1 GOAL
Champions Trophy Aug 2003 - Amstelveen (4th), CAPTAIN
Aug/Sep 2002 - Cologne (4th), 2 GOALS, Player of the Tournament
Dec 1996 - Chennai (4th), 3 GOALS
1995 - Berlin (5th), 2 GOALS
Asian Games Oct 2002 - Busan (2nd), 3 GOALS
Flag bearer of Indian contingent, Member of All-Star Asian Games
team
Dec 1998 - Bangkok (1st), 10 GOALS, CAPTAIN
1994 - Hiroshima (2nd)
1990 - Beijing (2nd)
Asia Cup Sep 2003 - Kuala Lumpur (1st), 1 GOAL, CAPTAIN
Nov 1999 - Kuala Lumpur (3rd), 3 GOALS
1993 - Hiroshima
1989 - New Delhi (2nd)
Commonwealth Games Sep 1998 - Kuala Lumpur (4th), 5 Goals, Captain
SAF Games 1995 - Chennai (1st)
Indo-Pak Series Feb/Mar 1998 - Lost 3-4, 3 GOALS, CAPTAIN
Champions Challenge Dec 2001 - Kuala Lumpur (1st), 1 GOAL
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Jan 2004 - Kuala Lumpur (LAST), 2 GOALS, CAPTAIN
Feb 2000 - Kuala Lumpur (3rd), 5 GOALS
1996 - Ipoh
Indira Gandhi Gold Cup 1995
1994 - 7 GOALS, Player of the Tournament
Asian Tour Mar 2001 - Dhaka - 9-Nation Prime Minister's Gold Cup
(1st), 3 GOALS
Australian Tour Jun 2003 - Sydney - 3-Nation Tournament (1st), 1
GOAL, CAPTAIN
May/Jun 2003 - Perth - 3-Nation Tournament (2nd), 1 GOAL, CAPTAIN
Apr 2000 - Sydney (3rd in 4-Nation), 1 GOAL
Apr 2000 - Perth (1st in 4-Nation), 2 GOALS
European Tour Aug 2004 - Leverkusen - 3-Test Series vs. Ireland
(Won 2-1), 1 GOAL
Jul 2004 - Dusseldorf - 4-Nation Tournament (2nd)
Jun 2003 - Hamburg - 4-Nation Hamburg Masters (1st), CAPTAIN
Jun 2003 - Duisburg (GER) - 1-off Test with Germany, 2-2 Tie, CAPTAIN
Aug 2002 - Amstelveen - Rabobank 4-Nation Tournament (LAST), 1 GOAL
Jan 2000 - Barcelona - 4-Nation Tournament (3rd)
Jan 2000 - Barcelona - 1-off Test with Canada (Won 3-2)
Jan 2000 - Barcelona - 3-Test Series vs. Belgium (Won 2-0), 1 GOAL
1997 - Hamburg - 4-Nation Tournament
1995 - Germany - 4-Nation Tournament
1993 - Vienna - Alps Cup
1993 - Poznan - Inter-Continental Tournament
1990 - Germany - BMW Tournament, 2 GOALS
Test Series at Home Jan 1998 - 4-Test Series vs. Germany - Lost
0-3, CAPTAIN
1997 - vs. Germany
1996 - vs. England, Germany, Australia
1995 - vs. Holland, Spain
1994 - vs. Holland, Australia, South Africa
1993 - vs. South Africa
FOREIGN
CLUBS
Indian Gymkhana London 1992 - 1993
FC Lyon Lyon, France 1993
Selangor Kuala Lumpur 19?? - 19??
Abhahani Ltd. Dhaka Jul 1997, Mar 1999
Stuttgart Kickers Stuttgart May - Jun, Oct 2000
Bank Simpanan Nasional Kuala Lumpur Nov 2000 - Feb 2001
Arthur Andersen Kuala Lumpur Mar 2002 - Jun 2002
Singapore Singapore November 2002
Ernst and Young Kuala Lumpur Sep - Oct 2004
Telekom Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Jul - Sep 2005
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Some
Facts About Dhanraj Pillay:
Only
Indian to play in: 4 Olympics, 4 World Cups, 4 Champions Trophies
4 Asian Games, 4 Asia Cups
Highest
goal scorer in the Bangkok Asian Games; member of World Eleven
side during the 1994 World Cup; Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
(1999) ; Padma Shri in 2000
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