Star hockey forward Baljit Dhillon announces retirement

Chandigarh, Mar 2 (UNI) Olympian and star forward Baljit Singh Dhillon today called it a day from international and national competitive hockey.

''The ongoing Premier Hockey League (PHL) is my last competitive assignment and I thought it better to quit after the best-of-three finals,'' Baljit (34) who is playing for Sher-e-Jalandhar said while addressing mediapersons here.

''If Shers win the PHL, my colleagues would give me a memorable gift of my life,'' said schemer and inside-left Dhillon who will hang his stick after playing the best of three finals against Orissa Steelers today and on March 4 and 5.

A veteran of 300 internationals and more than 100 goals to his credit, three-time Olympian Dhillon described the year 1998 as the best of his career.

''I think it is appropriate time to hang the stick. I have played enough and gave creditable performance. I can no longer give necessary time to the Indian team,'' he said.

Recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1998-99 and the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award in 2006, Dhillon, played in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Olympics.

Captain of the Indian team in 2002 World Cup in Malaysia, Dhillon, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was also member of the Indian teams which competed in the 1994 (Japan), 1999 (Kuala Lumpur) and 2003 (Kuala Lumpur) World Cups.

''The main highlights of my hockey career were winning of the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998,'' he said. He was the man of the series in the 1999 Indo-Pak series. He was also a member of the World XI team in 1998.

Sher-E-Jalandhar coach Surinder Singh Sodhi said Dhillon's retirement was a ''great loss'' for the Punjab Police and Indian hockey. ''We wonder who can substitute such a talented player. It will be loss to the Indian hockey, specially Punjab and Punjab Police,'' he said.

His former colleague, Olympian Sanjeev Kumar Dang of Punjab and Sind Bank described Baljit as an all rounder whose distribution of passes and scoring ability made him a most talented player. ''His best ability is to play the ball on the wrong foot'', Dang said.

In 2002, Baljit and his brother Daljit Singh played in the World Cup at Kuala Lumpur. Both had four goals each to their credit in that tournament. Baljit made his international debut in 1993 in the Test series against South Africa and scored six goals. UNI