Click to play videoNew Delhi: He had been the IHF's unquestioned boss for 15 years but Kanwar Pal Singh Sill's reign on Monday came to an end in disgrace after he was shunted out by a unanimous decision taken by the Indian Olympic Association.
The hockey federation was suspended and Gill couldn't do much more than watch helplessly.
“He has been one of the best cops the country has seen but it was our duty. It was no pleasure,” said President IOA Suresh Kalmadi.
In place of the IHF, steps in a five-man ad hoc committee and a new selection panel chaired by former Olympian Aslam Sher Khan. It includes some big names of Indian hockey, such as Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh, Zafar Iqbal and Ashok Kumar. Their task will be to find a way out of the mess.
“It will be a management committee, which will look into the management of hockey. We have Bob Davidson with us,” said Secretary IOA Randhir Singh.
Clearly, the IOA was left with no choice after the International Hockey Federation's threat to take away India’s right to host the 2010 World Cup unless stern action was taken.
But will Gill go away quietly? Not on the evidence of this interview to CNN-IBN recently.
“Each single sports minister who was there during these 5-6 years has done nothing at all,” he had said.
In his long career as police officer and administrator KPS Gill fought many a battle. He took on the establishment, ruled hockey with an iron fist and sacked coaches and players at will but in the end it was his own colleagues in the IOA who pulled the rug from under his feet.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.