You hardly find Vikram Pillay without a smile on his face. Just as you seldom find him uninvolved with the action on the pitch. Clearly, the latest star from the hockey loving suburb of Khadki in Pune lives up to his image of being the engine room of the India team.
Rugged, ready and game to meet any physical challenge that the Europeans or Australians may throw at him, the 22-year-old mid-fielder is part and parcel of the changing face of Indian hockey ever since the 2001 Junior World Cup triumph in Hobart, Tasmania, where he played a major role. “The Junior World Cup was the start of everything,” the amicable Vikram says with a glint in his eye. Surely, he is going to remember that moment for the rest of his life.

Vikram is yet another example of a Khadki-born hockey player’s fight against adversity. He comes from a lower-middle class family, just like Indian icon Dhanraj Pillay. His father Vishnu is a workshop worker and has raised a family of four sons with limited resources at hand. And Vikram, brought up with dignity and humility, is not the one to forget Vishnu’s, and his mother Pushpa’s, role in his growth as a player. “After God, it’s my parents who have supported me to the fullest,” he says.

Vikram, like Dhanraj, left Pune for Mumbai when he was only 16. Pune sadly offers little toward the development of a hockey player’s career and Vikram thought it wise to emulate the countless players from the city who travelled to the metropolis across the Western ghats. From Govind Perumal, the double Olympic gold medallist to Dhanraj himself, the list of players who have gone to Mumbai to develop their hockey is both illustrious and large.
Strangely, Dhanraj and Vikram, although from the same locality, never met until 1997. “I was with the Mumbai team at the Junior Nationals in Bangalore and we were to play the India side who were training there,” Vikram recollects. “Before the match I was introduced to Dhanraj,” Vikram explains. “He shook my hand, saying ‘oh, so you are Vikram, the promising young player from Khadki. I have heard about you’ !”

Although he was quick to shine in Mumbai while playing for Union Bank of India, Vikram fondly remembers his formative years in Khadki. Now playing for Indian Airlines after stints with Tata Sports Club and Air-India, top teams in the nation, Vikram first caught the eye while representing All Saints High School.

He stood out at camps organised in the city and played for Kids XI and Champions Sports Club during which time he imbibed valuable lessons. Coaching stalwarts M.A. Anthony and Sridhar Kulkarni had a say in young Vikram’s development but the greatest influence was Shyamsundar Gangadhar Sathe, his teacher and coach in All Saints High School. “Sathe Sir did everything to help me especially when to came to playing matches and coping with studies after missing classes because of playing commitments,” Vikram says. Vikram is profuse in praise as he says of Sathe: “I owe my early development to him. He encouraged me to play for the state and shared his knowledge with me be it tactics, skills and techniques and thoughts on discipline and healthy living”.

“I remember him even now after playing so many games for my country,” Vikram says. Sathe on his part remembers Vikram as an obedient hard-working lad. “He followed whatever I adviced him.” Intense and determined on the pitch, Vikram belies his amicable manner off it. “I can’t recall a single instance of him fighting with any of his schoolmates,” Sathe says. “And when I scolded him, he never back-answered,” the Marathi and physical education teacher reminisces.

Vikram’s development progressed by leaps and bounds in Mumbai. With Union Bank of India, he blossomed under coach Nasir Khan. Then he came under the tutelage of Clarence Lobo when he joined Tatas Sports Club . “I soon grew in confidence and I have to thank Nasir Sir and Clarence Sir for that,” Vikram says. “Also, when I joined Tatas I was able to gain wide experience at the All-India level.” Vikram was then picked by Air-India and his development was closely monitored by former India international Daryl D’Souza, the coach of the side. Despite being a newcomer, Vikram was asked to lead the Air-India side, which motivated the youngster to large extent.

NOTE: Rest in the Book

Errol D’Cruz, 43, has been a freelancer for about a decade, contributing to many national and international publications including Gulf News and Khaleej Times. He is now sports correspondent in the The Times of India, Pune. He has covered many prestigious international events in both football and hockey. Many of his articles appeared in The Hockey Circle (Australia)and hockey books edited by Mark Trevenson. Contact: erroldcruz@hotmail.com