On hockey, humility and lessons that last: Rahul Dravid recalls formative years, inspires youngsters | Cricket News
Bangalore: Rahul DravidOnce a hockey midfielder, famously ditched the stick and stuck to weaving magic with the willow. Almost four decades later, with a stick in hand, he can still trap a ball with precision and also place a pass well. The former Indian captain and coach, who played for the same school team – St. Joseph’s Boys High School – as former international hockey players Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh, considers hockey as one of his favorite sports. Speaking at the opening of the inter-college hockey tournament commemorating the platinum jubilee of his alma mater, St Joseph’s College of Commerce (SJCC), here on Friday, Dravid recalled his days on the hockey field.“I played a lot of hockey in school. I was lucky to play with people like Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh for two reasons. First, we were a strong team and won tournaments like the Centenary Shield and Father Eric Vaz inter-school tournaments because of these two guys. Also, it was a good lesson for me because when I watched them play or played with them, I realized better that Dr.In fact, Dravid and Somesh both played as midfielders, while 1996 Atlanta Olympian Aldrin was a defender. The 53-year-old Dravid said that hockey played an important role in his formative years. “I love playing hockey. It’s a great team sport. India has a unique 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 reached the heights and standards we had before, but I am happy that we have been successful in recent times. There is a change in hockey,” he said.The two-day five-a-side inter-college hockey tournament, which attracted 17 teams, was organized by SJCC’s Old Students’ Association (OSA) and Yes For Hockey. The competition is timely for the revival of collegiate hockey, which has been in decline for years.Praising OSA’s efforts, Dravid said, “They are very passionate about trying to revive hockey and get more young people playing it, which is very important because it’s an amazing game to be a part of. I think it will continue to get better.”
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