World Cup win will change Indian hockey forever: Dhanraj Pillay

LUCKNOW: Four-time hockey Olympian Dhanraj Pillay said India should cash in on home advantage and overcome Belgium in their vital Group C hockey World Cup clash on Sunday.

“After a successful start, we need to carry on our good run on Sunday,” Pillay said here on the sidelines of an event on Saturday. “The team has had the home advantage for the last twoand-a-half months. The boys have been training on that surface. We have the best man Harendra Singh as coach. He will be drawing from his success at the Junior World Cup (in 2016),” said Pillay.

“Our boys too are good and playing top hockey.”

Pillay played in four Olympics, four World Cups, four Champions Trophies and four Asian Games, and led India to gold at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. The ace forward didn’t agree the current team was on a par with the best Indian teams of the past.

“In 1994, we were world No 5. Even today, we are at the same spot. So one can understand which has been the best team of India,” he said.

Pillay said hockey was technology-driven now but “at the end of the day, you need skills and courage to score goals. I do believe in technology-driven hockey but we must make use of it cautiously.

The European teams, which have learnt the skills from us, aren’t totally dependent on technology.”

He said a win at the World Cup would help change the hockey scenario in India forever.

“Yes, we need one big victory, either in the World Cup or Olympics, and if we do it, India will set new milestones for the game.”

SPAIN SKIPPER OUT

BHUBANESWAR: Spain captain Miguel Delas was on Saturday ruled out for the rest of the World Cup due to shoulder injury. Spain have replaced Delas with Ricardo Sanchez.