Former Indian Olympian Dhanraj Pillay agrees with Pakistan-India hockey series – Field Hockey News
Legendary hockey player and former skipper of the Indian team, Dhanraj Pillay has seconded the proposed bilateral series between Pakistan and India saying that it would assist the two countries in recuperating their lost glory.
In his views, it was the sport, which was dominated by Pakistan and India for several years. Both sides have captured all the major hockey titles across the world. The level of the sport in the two neighbouring countries after the boom of cricket has been
rapidly losing ground.
Pillay along with other former Olympians was present in Kolkata, India to inaugurate the first ever multi-sport man-made turf in a local school. Baljit Singh Saini, Bir Bahadur Chettri, Keshav Dutt, Dilip Tirkey, Leslie Claudius and Gurbux Singh were among
the other former hockey players who graced the ceremony.
The former legends of their era also played a six-a-side contest against the school team at the newly inaugurated turf. Pillay chipped in three goals to close-out the match to a three-all draw. Blair Hoping, the player from New Zealand who led the Khalsa
English High School, played a vital role in the provision of the artificial turf.
Commenting about the most popular and world famous Pakistan-India series, the former Olympian was of the view that the governments of the two respective countries will have to recommence the proposed series if they wanted to revive the past glory of hockey.
Pillay stated, “Both the countries governments should take initiatives to resume the Test series. It will lead the revival of the sport in both the countries and they will gain the competitive edge that is essential if the two countries wish to regain their
status in international hockey.”
The former captain expressed his satisfaction while giving remarks on the newly appointed Indian captain and coach selected for the forthcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup. He was of the view that Harendra Singh the coach and Arjun Halappa the skipper of
the Indian hockey team will deliver results in the Malaysia-based tournament.
Pillay, who also offered his services to coach the national squad, has anticipated that the players under the training of Harendra will show an impressive game. Their main objective was to get a berth in the 2012 London Olympics, he maintained.
Halappa is an experienced hockey professional and has had the capability to captain the squad in the major tournaments, he added saying that the newly appointed skipper will meet the given responsibilities.
Dilip Tirkey, another former Olympian was of the view that the Indian team is comprised of youngsters, but they will deliver a bright performance in the mega event.
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