Dhanraj launches green campaign for academy

Indian hockey star Dhanraj Pillay has become a green crusader, launching a campaign for a clean environment to raise funds for a hockey academy he plans to start later this year.

The country's leading player for the last decade is heading a drive to collect empty plastic printer cartridges in Bombay and sell them to a European recycling firm.

"It is very good for the environment. With help from the corporate sector and hockey lovers, we'll collect empty ink cartridges, which will otherwise pollute the air if they are thrown away as waste," Pillay said.

Pillay said he has set up a "players forum" for the project and the amount raised will fund the academy, which is due to start this September with 50 juniors, both boys and girls.

"It has been a dream. For the last three to four years I have tried to set up an academy but getting any land from the government in Bombay is very difficult," he said. "So we came up with this idea."

A Dutch NGO, Letscorp Europe, will buy the cartridges for 25 rupees a piece, and refill and distribute them in Europe and the United States, he said.

"Dhanraj has played professional hockey in Holland and came in touch with the firm. They also sponsor Paralympics and also work in the area of child abuse," Sandeep, an official involved in the project, said.

Pillay expects to raise about 60,000 Indian rupees, the amount he says would be needed to hire the astroturf facility of the Bombay Hockey Association for one year.

"I have approached the Bombay association to sign a lease and play agreement. It costs 1,000 rupees for one session and I have given them a proposal for 300 days," he said.

Pillay played in the last three Olympics and led India to the Asian Games gold after a gap of 32 years at Bangkok in 1998.

The 32-year-old with over 300 national caps said he hoped to continue playing for the country until next year's World Cup in Kuala Lumpur and the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.

Former India stars Mervyn Fernandis, M.M.Sommaya and R S Negi are among those who have offered to coach at the academy.

"Ex-players have to coach youngsters if we are to take the country higher and higher. After me, there should be someone to carry the good work."

Pillay said the Dutch firm is also ready to sponsor academy trainees for foreign coaching.