Dhanraj Pillay reveals how Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Prakash Padukone, Geet Sethi, & Kamlesh Mehta motivated him during his younger days

Former India men's hockey team skipper Dhanraj Pillay appeared on paddler Mudit Dani's Instagram series 'In The Sportlight' recently.

The 52-year-old shed light on how Indian sporting legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Prakash Padukone, Kapil Dev, Geet Sethi, and Kamlesh Mehta inspired him to work hard during his younger days.

Pillay represented the country in 339 hockey matches. Under his captaincy, the Indian men's hockey team won the Asian Games gold medal and the Asia Cup title. Dhanraj Pillay has received the prestigious Padma Shri award and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for his excellent performances on the field.

Talking about his early days as a hockey player, Dhanraj Pillay said:

"I have spent almost 33 years in this field. Fitness is very important, specially in any sport. With fitness, I think discipline is also required. When I was growing up, I used to read Kamlesh Mehta sir, Prakash Padukone sir, Geet Sethi sir, Sunil Gavaskar sir, and Kapil Dev sir. All these players were stars in their own fields. I used to read they received the Arjuna award, the state awards, Padmi Shri, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. I used to feel if I play good hockey for my country, I can also achieve all these things."

Dhanraj Pillay shares his mantra to success

Next, Dhanraj Pillay disclosed his success mantra and said that one needs to be very honest towards his or her goal. The individuals must not take shortcuts at any cost, irrespective of the field they are in. He also highlighted the significance of sacrifice, saying:

"I have sacrificed a lot. When people were celebrating festivals, I was playing hockey for my country, or I was competing in a foreign league."

The 2003 Asia Cup winner concluded that one should dedicate themselves entirely to their goals, and no one would be able to stop them from being successful.