Former players mount pressure on Gill

New Delhi:

KPS Gill's autocratic style of running the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) coupled with his rash comments have finally got former players united in their stand against him. Gill recently called former Olympians who represented India after 1966 a bunch of fools and he was equally dismissive of the comments made by coach Gerhard Rach who says he was forced to quit as national coach. Damage control Speaking at a press conference last week, Gill said that the former national hockey coach from Germany does not know how to express himself in English language. It was a case of too little, too late when it comes to silencing his critics who are out with knives again, this time in full strength. "Gill has ridiculed the images of Indian hockey and does not know what he is talking about and he says one thing one day and something else next day," said Asish Balal, former India goalkeeper. Former players squarely blame Gill's alleged autocratic way of functioning for Indian hockey's downfall. "Things have been bad for the past 11 years. We have produced poor results," said MP Ganesh, former Indian skipper. In the eye of the storm Not everyone criticises the 70-year-old IHF boss though. People who have known KPS Gill from close quarters say that the former supercop should not be entirely blamed for the mess that Indian hockey is in right now. "I do not think he should resign. After all he was elected to this post and his term is not over yet but it is a fact that these past few years that he has been at the helm of affairs the standard of Indian Hockey has gone down," said Ashok Kumar, former Indian captain. With senior officials in his own federation cornering him on the issue of alleged financial irregularities and even the sports ministry keen to mend IHF ways, KPS Gill is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his stranglehold over the national sports body. Whether or not he survives the present crisis, like he has done it in the past, only time will tell.