Padamshree Dilip Tirkey is moments away from making a personal milestone — or has he already achieved? Dilip is just a match or two away from the magical figure of 400.

Orissa’s maestro has been main stay of Indian hockey, and has proved to be an epitome for endurance.

The Wall of Indian Hockey, Dilip Tirkey, started his career in 1995, making his international senior debut in the 1995 Indira Cup at National Stadium, New Delhi.

14 years later, even as half of his peers are out of the scene, and most of them trying to be coach — his 2000 Sydney Olympic captain Ramandeep Singh is in fact assistant coah of the present national team — this defender is going all guns.

Dilip led India at the 2004 Olympics, and also won gold at the Afro-Asian Games and only Indian to win gold at two Asia Cup. There are many rare accomplishments that can be accredited to this genial genius.

With around 320 caps, Dhanraj Pillay comes a distant second in terms of caps for India, and it was due to the indifferent Indian Hockey Federation, Pillay, who played a couple more years than Dilip Tirkey, could not cross this mark. The IHF has recklessly dropped Pillay.

In his long career, Dilip has never been dropped

However, he faced some hard times to continue in the team especially with the coaching duo of Baskaran and Harendra after the Monchengladbach fiasco — and as its ripple effect in the run up to the last Asian Games.

But the genius overcame all those – and we will wish him in advance all the best.

Note: According to some, Dilip has crossed 400 during the New Zealand Series. This view was due to the fact that he played three Olympics and therefore he is credited with 21 caps. However, this writer credits only 17, as Dilip played only 3 matches in his debut Olympics at Atlanta. If this writer’s basis for calculation is correct,then he will be making the milestone next month at the Azlan Shah Cup. My Olympic caps assessment is done as per the offically published data. However, it is academic, and it is time to celebrate.