At last, Dhanraj Pillay gets his recongnition

New Delhi, June 30: It is a just reward for my efforts. The Asian Games win in Bangkok is my best so far, I gave it my all. It was the b...

New Delhi, June 30: “It is a just reward for my efforts. The Asian Games win in Bangkok is my best so far, I gave it my all. It was the biggest achievement of my career. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is probably in recognition of that and I’m honoured by this,” an elated Dhanraj Pillay told The Indian Express from his Stuttgart base in Germany, reacting to the announcement of the award here on Friday. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dronacharya award and the Arjuna award for 1999 were announced by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in the Capital today.

The Indian forward, who is playing the German league with the Stuttgart Kickers, added, “Even though I was expecting the Padma Shree after the Bangkok triumph, it is not a surprise that I got this. It will motivate me to do my best at the Sydney Olympics.”

Pillay, who was kept out of the Indian team for months after criticisng the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) in the wake of the golden’ win, felt that "the award will help erase some bitter memories”.

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"Those months (when I was not in the team) were hell for me. But I have faith in God and He and my family members helped me through that difficult period," said Pillay, who is known as the Boris Becker of Mumbai’ in the German league. “I’m flying back to India on July 3. I can’t wait to share this special news with my mother,” he added.

The award has indeed come at a time when Pillay seems to have rediscovered his touch inside the striking circle. Incidentally, Pillay was declared the fittest in the Indian team during the first preparatory camp in Bangalore. “I always valued fitness, but the German league has helped me raise my fitness level. I have played in leagues in England, France and Bangladesh, but the German league is by far the toughest. Anyway, people now won’t say that Dhanraj is past his prime,” he said.

The players in the Arjuna awards list include promising swimmer Nisha Millet, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, middle distance runner Sunita Rani and boxer Gurcharan Singh . The list of Arjuna awardees has been divided into two categories — current and lifetime. While 14 sportspersons have been selected in the current’ category, eight have been selected in the lifetime’ category. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award carries cash prize of Rs. 3 lakhs, Dronacharya award Rs. 2.25 lakhs and the Arjuna award Rs. 1.5 lakhs. Incidetally, no cricketer figures in the awards list.

THE AWARDS LIST:

RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA: Dhanraj Pillay (hockey) DRONACHARYA AWARD: Kenneth Owen Bosen (athletics), Hawa Singh (boxing), Ajay Sirohi (weightlifting). ARJUNA AWARD: Current: Gulab Chand, Sunita Rani, Gurmeet Kaur (athletics), Pullela Gopichand (badminton), Gurcharan Singh, Jitender Kumar (boxing), Ramandeep Singh (hockey), Jagjit Singh (rowing), Vivek Singh (shooting), Nisha Millet (swimming), Sukhpal Singh (volleyball), Dalbir Singh (weightlifting), Aashim Mongia (yatching) and Chiranjeev Milkha Singh (golf). Life time: Praduman Singh (athletics), Sajjan Singh Cheema (basketball), Balbir Singh Khullar , VJ Phillips, Haripal Kaushik (hockey), Tirath Raj, Balwinder Singh (kabaddi), Ashok Kumar (wrestling). Physically handicap category: Venkata Rappa (athletics).