Having just landed from an assignment for his employers air India in Gujarat, we expected hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay to be a tad tired when he arrived to conduct the mid-day Masterclass. But on seeing our bunch of enthusiastic kids, with the kit and all, he too got into his hockey gear immediately and literally sprinted on the turf to conduct the session. “ C’mon let’s start by taking 10 rounds of the ground,” Pillay said to the stunned kids and then broke into a laugh. The kids had a blast picking his brains thereafter.

Mehek Patel (Duruelo Convent, Bandra): Could you tell us how to overcome the challenges as a striker in the new penalty shootout format?