Not merely because both hockey stars are in the same mould -- dashing, skillful, predatory and aggressive. Or that both have a craggy face and a flowing mane that gave the centre-forwards a glamourous and fearsome image as they took rival citadels apart.

But more poignantly, Kerly and Pillay carried and delivered their nation's challenges amid deep personal crises that would make lesser men flinch from the task at hand.

Kerly lost his job because he needed extra hours to train for his gold medal dream. Pillay's burst of form in Bangkok that helped script India's first Asian Games gold medal in 32 years came against a backdrop of depression.

The India captain's career is likely to be in limbo following a decision by his employers, Mumbai club Mahindras, closing down hockey activity a recent development that has seeninternational Gavin Ferreira move to Tata Sports Club.

Add to this the trauma of the Utrecht World Cup earlier this year and a series of emotional outbursts in the India camp at home and abroad, Pillay appeared a forlorn person. A man at war with the world and himself as he embarked on the Bangkok campaign.

Mahindras colleague, friend and mentor, Olympian Joaquim Carvalho, however, felt something changed dramatically for the fallen super star at Bangkok.``It had to be the flag,'' Carvalho of 1984 Olympic fame, opined. ``It did wonders for `Dhan'. He became focussed and effective as he was in the first two seasons after playing in the French league.''

Pillay was the Indian contingent's flag bearer at the Games opening ceremony two weeks ago. A great honour for the person and hockey. And surely enough, he never looked back. Top scorer with 11 goals in the the tournament and the `best player' award bears ample testimony. The last fortnight in the Thai capital did much to pull out the tag of`under-achiever' the dashing centre-forward was suspected to be carrying for almost a decade.

Carvalho, close to the Pune-based Pillay family that includes Dhanraj's hockey-playing brothers, Ganesh and international Ramesh, is optimistic of the India spearhead's ability to last the distance until the 2000 Sydney Olympics for which India has automatically qualified by clinching the Asiad gold at South Korea's expense.

``But he must be handled carefully, both physically and psychologically,'' Carvalho said. ``He is emotional and temperamental and he needs someone in the team think-tank who can care for him and understand him,'' he added.

In 1996 at the Champions Trophy in Chennai, Pillay allegedly hit a spectator who abused him. The grapevine has it that he rapped a player at the training camp for the Asiad at Bangalore. He also allegedly created a furore when not served tea at the canteen.

At the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur last September, word filtered through about a row between him and atop-ranking official of the Indian Hockey Federation that could well have threatened his career.

And earlier this year, he spearheaded a players revolt against the Indian Hockey Federation for prompt and proper payments proving himself as a players' man.

Whatever his actions, naive or indiscreet, there is little doubt that Pillay, a man of humble origins, has the best interests of the sport at heart.

For all the turbulence off the pitch, Pillay's prowess could never be underestimated -- even by his most severe detractors.

The endearing scenes at Bangkok has pushed such bizarre happenings to oblivion as the nation now dots on its hero to haul itself back to respectability on the world stage.