On hockey, humility and lasting lessons: Rahul Dravid recalls formative years, inspires youngsters | Cricket News
bangalore: Rahul DravidA former hockey midfielder, he was known for putting away his sticks and insisting on weaving magic out of willow. Nearly forty years later, with a stick in his hand, he can still catch the ball with precision and place passes well. The former India captain and coach, who plays for the same school team – St Joseph’s Boys’ High School – as former international hockey players Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh, considers hockey one of his favorite sports. Dravid, who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the inter-collegiate hockey tournament to mark the platinum jubilee of his alma mater St. Joseph’s College of Commerce (SJCC) on Friday, recalled his days on the hockey field.“I played a lot of hockey in school. I was lucky enough to play with the likes of Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh for two reasons. Firstly, we were a strong team as these two won tournaments like the Centenary Shield and the Father Eric Vaz Inter-School Championship. Also, it was a good lesson for me because when I watched them play or played with them, I realized that I was better off playing cricket,” joked Dravid.Incidentally, Dravid and Somesh are both midfielders, while Aldrin, a 1996 Atlanta Olympian, plays as a defender. Dravid, 53, said hockey played a big role in his upbringing. “I love playing hockey. It’s a great team sport. India has incredible history, heritage and tradition in hockey,” he said.
Dravid also praised the resurgence of Indian hockey after the men’s team won back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in Paris and Tokyo. “We haven’t been able to reach the heights and standards of the past, but I’m happy that we’ve had quite a bit of success recently. Hockey is having a renaissance,” he said.The two-day five-a-side intercollegiate hockey tournament attracted 17 teams and was hosted by the SJCC Old Students Association (OSA) and Yes For Hockey. The tournament is timely for the resurgence of college hockey, which has been in decline for years.Dravid applauded OSA’s efforts, saying: “They are very keen on reviving hockey and getting more young people involved in the game, which is really important because it’s a phenomenal sport and it deserves to be played. I think it’s only going to get better and better.”
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