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Dhanraj Pillay Height, Weight, Age, Family, Biography, Facts & More

Dhanraj Pillay

Bio/Wiki
Full NameDhanraj Pillay
Profession Indian field hockey player (Retired), Politician
Famous ForFormer Captain of the Indian National Field Hockey Team
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 173 cm
in meters- 1.73 m
in feet inches- 5’ 8”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 65 kg
in pounds- 143 lbs
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourBlack
Field Hockey
International DebutOn 20 December 1989 against China at the Allwyn Cup held in New Delhi
PositionForward
Domestic/State Team(s)Indian Airlines, Mahindra & Mahindra, City Mumbai
Coach/MentorLeslie Claudius (Mentor)
Dhanraj Pillay's Mentor Leslie Claudius
Records (main ones)• The only Indian to play in 4 Olympics, 4 World Cups, 4 Champions Trophy and 4 Asian Games
• Under his captaincy, India won the Asian Games (1998) and the Asia Cup (2003)
Awards, Honours, Achievements • Recipient of The Arjun Award (1995)
• Recipient of The Padma Shri (2001)
• East Bengal club conferred him with Bharat Gaurav (2017)
Personal Life
Date of Birth16 July 1968 (Tuesday)
Age (as of 2024) 56 Years
Birthplace Khadki near Pune in Maharashtra, India
Zodiac sign/Sun signCancer
NationalityIndian
Hometown Khadki near Pune in Maharashtra, India
SchoolThe S V S High School, Khadki
College/UniversityNot Known
Educational QualificationNot Known
ControversyPillay was not selected in the Indian Team after the win at the Bangkok Asiad. The Management gave the reason that he and 6 other players were made to rest but it was said that it was due to his outburst against the management for improper reception and non-payment of match fees
Girls, Affairs & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Family
Wife/SpouseN/A
ChildrenNone
ParentsFather- Nagalingam Pillay
Mother- Andalamma
SiblingsBrother- Ramesh Pillay and 3 more
Sister- Not Known
Favourite Things
Favourite Hockey Player(s)Ramesh Pillay, Mohammed Shahid, Zafar Iqbal
Favourite Sportsperson(s)Saina Nehwal, M.S Dhoni, Viswanathan Anand

Dhanraj Pillay

 Some Lesser Known Facts About Dhanraj Pillay

  • Does Dhanraj Pillay smoke?: Not Known
  • Does Dhanraj Pillay drink alcohol?: Not Known
  • Dhanraj Pillay was born in a poor family, and he spent his childhood in the Ordnance Factory Staff Colony where his father was a groundsman. Ordnance Factory Pune Where Dhanraj Pillay Spent Most Of His Childhood
  • As a child, he used to play Hockey on the muddy surface with broken sticks and discarded hockey balls.
  • Dhanraj Pillay’s elder brother Ramesh Pillay was also a Hockey player who used to play for RCF in the Mumbai League.
  • He went to Mumbai in his youth and with the guidance of his brother Ramesh, Dhanraj turned into a good striker and was introduced to the professional Hockey.
  • Dhanraj played in the Junior National Hockey Tournament held in Manipur at the age of 17 years and further played the Sanjay Gandhi Tournament (1987) held in Delhi.
  • In 1988, he played his first National Hockey Tournament in Delhi.
  • He impressed everyone by his game and was invited by the famous Hockey player and coach Joquim Carvalho to come and play for Mahindra & Mahindra in Mumbai. Dhanraj Pillay's First Coach Joquim Carvalho
  • Dhanraj Pillay made his International Hockey debut in the Allwyn Asia Cup Hockey tournament held at New Delhi in 1989; his first match was against China on 20 December 1989.
  • Pillay also holds the record of being the only Hockey player who has played in 4 Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004), 4 World Cup Tournaments (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002), 4 Champions Trophy Tournaments (1995, 1996, 2002 and 2003), and 4 Asian Games (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002).
  • He was made the Captain of the Indian Hockey team and under his captaincy, India won the Asian Games (1998), where he was the top goal scorer and also the Asia Cup (2003).
  • Pillay was also the only Indian player to be included in the World Eleven Team at Sydney World Cup (1994).
  • In his career spanning from 1989-2004, he played 339 matches and scored around 170 goals.
  • Dhanraj Pillay played his last match in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
  • His biography called “Forgive Me Amma” came out in 2007. In the book, he has expressed his sadness about not being able to win a gold in the Olympics and asked forgiveness from his mother. Dhanraj Pillay's Biography
  • Pillay started his political career by joining the Aam Aadmi Party in February 2014.
  • He is also the proud recipient of Arjun Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, and Padma Shri. Dhanraj Pillay Recieving Padma Shri
  • He is fluent in Marathi, Tamil (his mother tongue), Hindi, and English.