“K.P.S. Gill was a man of exceptional courage,” recalled Olympian Aloysius Edwards.
“There were death threats openly issued to him before the 1994 hockey World Cup in Sydney. He watched all the matches he could when he was there, even dropping by in the dressing room during the breaks. As Punjab’s Director General of Police, he left abruptly when some Punjab Police commandos were ambushed by Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh,” reminisced Edwards.
Gill brought about huge changes in the way hockey was administered. “Players had travelled mostly in unreserved railway coaches or stayed in dirty digs at various stadia. After his arrival, we travelled by air and stayed in hotels,” said India’s former captain to the 1996 Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia.
After Edwards tended goal in the Four Nations tournament in Australia, which also featured Canada and Korea there was a 10-day camp in Chennai before the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Three prospective goal-keepers were in the running, viz, Edwards, Ashish Ballal and seasoned hand A.B. Subbiah.
After a couple of rounds of trials, Edwards and Subbiah were enlisted for the quadrennial games, while Gill advised Ballal to get ready for the Champions Trophy after complete recovery from a shoulder injury he had suffered.
Post-playing days, Gill appointed Edwards as the national goalkeeper coach. Contrary to popular belief that the feisty cop had his way all the time, Edwards insisted on inclusion of current custodian P.R. Sreejesh in an under 21 team while the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president favoured a Manipuri player. The supercop gave in on that occasion which saw the Keralite’s career bloom and even assume captaincy of the senior team.
“A keen listener, Gill hardly talked. When he spoke he was not only clear but firm,” concluded Edwards.
