Whenever Dhanraj traps the ball and begins to run, it is as though electricity has found human form.

Dhanraj has a sprinter's explosive start and a burst that takes him from "zero to 60" before defenders can even twitch: he runs the 100 m in a very respectable 11.6 seconds.

Standing at the peak of his powers today, centre-forward Dhanraj Pillai exemplifies the very spirit that keeps Indian hockey alive: bloody and bruised, but bowing to none.

Copyright by Pressefoto Baumann