Pillay is raring to go

Chennai: Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay declared on Thursday he was fit and raring to represent the country in the Athens Olympics.

“This is an Olympic year and every athlete dreams of participating in the Games. I am totally fit and raring to represent India in my fourth Olympics,” he told newsmen at a cycling rally conference here.

This is a strong message for the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) from the senior pro who had been ignored for the Olympic qualifying meet in Madrid earlier this year, leading to many raised eyebrows.

Pillay recalled the days when he used to pedal about 50 km to attend for hockey practice sessions. He appealed to the Union and state governments to allocate separate lanes for cyclists, like it’s done in other parts of the world.