Germany may witness Dhanraj’s blitzkrieg

“I have not yet made up my mind whether to accept or not. It all depends on whether I continue with FC Lyon,” said Pillay, who led India to the Asian Games gold medal at Bangkok in December last year.

Pillay is not new to European hockey, having assisted French side FC Lyon for several years now. The German offer, though, will enable Pillay, top scorer at Bangkok with 11 goals, experience the rigours of competition in a league far superior to those in France and Bangladesh.

Not surprisingly, Pakistani stars Shahbaz Ahmed and Tahir Zaman have displayed their sublime Asian skills on German turf in recent times. The German league also draws talent from the rest of Europe and the United States.

Pillay, who helped take Abahani Club to second spot in the Bangla league by firing in 17 goals, could well have begun setting turfs in Duitsland afire but a German hockey federation stipulation prohibiting overseas players taking part in its league put the Frankfurt club’s plans on hold.

Pillay explained: “According to the German federation’s rule, a foreign recruit must not have played competitive hockey for 60 days prior to joining. Since I played in the Bangladesh league till early this month, the club could not recuit me immediately.”

Pillay views the possible stint in Germany as a tune up to next year’s Sydney Olympics despite an obscure international future. Rested’ by the Indian Hockey Federation along with five other senior players after the Asian Games, as maintain the Indian Hockey Federation, Pillay hopes to be in the squad to the Olympics in order to complete a triple treat’.

The Pune-grown Mumbai-based star has paraded his skills in three World Cups, as many Asian Games and two Olympics. “Sydney gives me a chance to complete a hat-trick of Olympics,” 29-year-old Pillay enthused. “It also gives me another chance to experience pride and honour of representing my country in the Olympics.”

Being at, what he feels, is the peak of his faculties gives Pillay every hope of making the squad to Sydney for which India have qualified automatically by virtue of the Bangkok triumph.

Pillay, who declared it would be “either Bhaskaran or me” amid growing animosity with the former Indian coach after the World Cup debacle at Utrecht last year, now sees a healthy extension of his international career after the advent of Harcharan Singh a few days ago.

“I’m easily good enough to play until year 2000 and after,” he declared.

Keeping fit through hard training, Pillay also allays fears of his domestic career similarly threatened by demise of his employers Mahindras’ hockey activity.

“Mahindras have given me full freedom to play overseas or at home for whatever club I choose,” the only Indian in a World XI drawn up by the media after the Sydney World Club, informs.

Pillay affirms he continues to remain in the employ of Mahindras who he serves as a junior officer. In the process, he refutes rumours that he will join Tata’s although he does not rule out the possibility of playing for the corporate giants or another top club in Mumbai.

The revival of top-flight hockey in Mumbai with the relaying of the AstroTurf pitch at the Mahindra Stadium delights Pillay as much as it does a school player in the megapolis where the game has been choked for more than three years.

Ironically, the hockey buff in Pillay’s adopted home will be as eager as the German in Frankfurt to watch the dazzling star rip defences apart.

For many in Germany the centre-forward’s dash would be something new. Ironically, it will be the same for many young fans in Mumbai, deprived by the vagaries of nature and administration.