On hockey, humility and lessons that last: Rahul Dravid recalls formative years, inspires youth

Rahul Dravid with former hockey internationals Sandeep Somesh (centre) and Anil Aldrin in Bengaluru on Friday Bengaluru: Rahul Dravid, once a hockey midfielder, famously put down his stick and stuck to weaving magic with the willow. Almost four decades later, stick in hand, he can still catch the ball accurately and also place the pass well. The former Indian captain and coach who played in the same school team – St. Joseph’s Boys High School – Like former international hockey players Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh, he considers hockey to be one of his favorite sports. Dravid reminisced about his days on the hockey field here at the launch of the inter-university hockey tournament commemorating the platinum jubilee of his alma mater, St Joseph’s College of Commerce (SJCC).“I played a lot of hockey in school. I was lucky enough to play with people like Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh for two reasons. First, we were a strong team and because of those two guys we won tournaments like the Centenary Shield and Father Eric Vaz inter-school tournaments. It was also a good lesson for me because when I saw them play or play with them,” I realized that Dravid played better cricket.Incidentally, Dravid and Somesh both played as midfielders, while 1996 Atlanta Olympian Aldrin was a defender. The 53-year-old Dravid said hockey played an important role in his formative years. “I loved playing hockey. It was a great team sport. India has such an incredible history, heritage and tradition in hockey,” he said.Dravid also hailed the resurgence of Indian hockey after the men’s team secured Olympic bronze medals in Paris and Tokyo. “We haven’t been able to reach the heights and standards we had in the past, but I’m glad we’ve been quite successful recently. There’s a resurgence of hockey,” he noted.The two-day intercollegiate tic-tac-toe hockey tournament, which attracted 17 teams, was hosted by SJCC’s Old Students’ Association (OSA) and Yes For Hockey. The competition is suitable for reviving collegiate hockey, which has declined over the years.Dravid praised the OSA’s efforts, saying, “They have been very passionate about trying to revive hockey and get more youngsters playing it, which is really important because it’s such a phenomenal sport to be a part of. I think it’s only going to get better.”