New Delhi: Gonzalo Peillat’s heart was beating faster during the Hockey India League (HIL) auction than it did when taking a drag-flick. The German hockey star was with his wife at their home in Mannheim, anxiously waiting for his name to be drawn from the lots.
₹68 lakh, became the most expensive overseas player at the Hockey India League (Hockey India)” title=”Gonzalo Peillat, sold to to the Hyderabad Toofans for ₹68 lakh, became the most expensive overseas player at the Hockey India League (Hockey India)” />“I was watching the whole auction and was really, really nervous, especially when my name wasn’t called out. To make it more tense, there were a lot of players who went unsold, and I was wondering about my fate,” the 32-year-old said from Germany.
His turn finally arrived. But the famous drag-flicker again had to wait to know his fate. Only this time the wait was one of joy rather than apprehension as teams raised the auction paddle for him, trying to out-bid each other. In the end, Peillat was sold to the Hyderabad Toofans for ₹68 lakh to become the most expensive overseas HIL player.
“At first, the pressure released when a few teams were bidding for me. I was like ‘at least I’m playing’. Then it went higher and higher. I was like ‘wow, that’s really crazy’ (laughs). It was a nice vibe,” added Peillat.
The penalty corner (PC) specialist was always going to go for big bucks. Afterall, he is no ordinary player. Peillat first came into the limelight when he ended as the top-scorer at the 2014 World Cup, helping Argentina claim bronze. Two years later, he became the most prized asset in the hockey world when his 11 goals (top-scorer again) guided Argentina to an unprecedented gold at Rio Olympics.
After falling out with the Argentine setup in 2019, Peillat decided to step away from South America and shifted base to Europe where by 2022 he had earned German citizenship. Few months later, Peillat started turning out in the German white jersey, instantly making an impact and helping Germany win the 2023 World Cup. A year later in Paris, the drag-flicker guided Germany to a silver medal finish, earning his second medal at the Games.
Now, Peillat will be returning to HIL as the league makes a comeback after almost eight years. The defender is familiar with the tournament, having played four out of the five previous seasons and will be eager to make an impact once again.
“I’m really excited. I remember my first year in Kalinga Lancers. We had a really young team. All those players now are playing for India. I’ve seen the development of these players from a nervous young lot, playing their first big tournament to becoming two-time Olympic medallists,” said Peillat.
Among the young lot is a certain Harmanpreet Singh, a fellow drag-flicker, who was a youngster starting out in international hockey when Peillat was part of the Olympic-gold winning team in 2016. A lot has changed in the last eight years with the Indian emerging as the top-scorer at the Paris Olympics with 10 goals, guiding India to a historic bronze medal finish.
“Nowadays, Harmanpreet is the best drag-flicker in the world followed by (Belgian) Alexander (Hendrickx) and (Australian) Jeremy Hayward. Harmanpreet has a really powerful drag-flick. Looking at what he did in the last big tournaments is really amazing. He and India know exactly what they need to do inside the circle. They concentrate on getting more PCs than attempting more shots in the circle, recognising that you have a big drag-flicker.”
“I always say, if you don’t have space to shoot, just look for a corner. Then you will still have a chance to score a goal. This is something that India and Harmanpreet did in the last couple of years, making the opportunities count.”
Off the pitch
As versatile as he is on the pitch, Peillat carries the same virtue off it too. Apart from playing for German club Mannheimer HC, the Buenos Aires-born is involved in several ventures, including managing his club’s sponsorships. Peillat also invests in real estate, leveraging his father’s experience in construction.
The ₹68 lakh HIL pay-check is especially important for the German as he recently became a father. “The earnings will be primarily used to support my family. I became a father so a big part of it will go towards my family’s needs and saving for the future,” said Peillat, who will join the Toofans on December 21. “I’m really happy with what I received in the auction because it makes the decision to be away from my family for eight weeks — especially during Christmas time with a three-month-old baby — a bit easier to justify.”
