Dhyan Chand should get Bharat Ratna: Pillay
Former India hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay has said the legendary Dhyan Chand should be bestowed with the Bharat Ratna award.
“I hope he is awarded the Bharat Ratna as soon as possible. He was not only a great player, he was a hockey magician. There would have been no controversy had he been given the award by now,” Pillay said while receiving East Bengal’s highest honour, the Bharat Gaurav, at their 98th Foundation Day celebrations in Kolkata recently.
Pillay, who also played for East Bengal in the Beighton Cup in the 1990s, said the stint with East Bengal instilled killer instinct in his game. “East Bengal fought till the end, which was also in my DNA. I followed the likes of Baichung Bhutia, Chima Okorie… I met Baichung in Malaysia when he was playing at club level,” he said.
Pillay said getting the Bharat Gaurav felt like getting India’s highest civilian honour.
“This feels like Bharat Ratna to me. I am overwhelmed that the club considered me worthy of this award,” he said.
“I feel honoured that a club, known for its football, gave this recognition to a hockey player. But we should also remember that East Bengal had a good record in hockey in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Leslie Claudius is an idol to me and I am really proud that I am getting the award which Claudius got earlier. I can’t compare myself with him. He was a genius,” Pillay said.
“Claudius helped me a lot during my playing days. When I was out of form he gave me a lot of tips which helped. He was just like a mentor,” he said.
Pillay urged the national hockey team to be consistent before next year’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar.
“We have to be consistent in all five matches and can’t afford to lose points. In the Hockey World League, we beat Pakistan but lost to Canada and Malaysia. We tend to concede goals in the closing stages.”
East Bengal also felicitated former India stalwarts Syed Nayeemuddin and Subhas Bhowmick with lifetime achievement awards at the function.