Kenya loses its Hockey Olympian Singh kular

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By Standard Reporter

Singh kular

Hardev, an inside forward, played for Kenya at Melbourne 1956 and Rome 1960 Olympic Games, was the Team Coach at Munich 1972 and the Team Manager at Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

Born in Nakuru, Kenya, he played for Kenya Police in the 1950s and captained the Police team that won the MR D’Souza Gold Cup, the premier Club tournament in East Africa, in 1955 and 1960. He captained the Kenya team that won the East African Championship in 1959. He later joined Sikh Union Nairobi in mid-sixties.

Following a successful playing career, he turned to coaching and umpiring and then hockey administration. He was awarded his FIH international umpires badge in 1970 and was Kenya’s coach at the first World Cup in Barcelona in 1971 where Kenya finished fourth.

Hardev was the Hon. General Secretary of Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) from 1973 to 1987 and Chairman of KHU from 1998 to 2004.

He was a member of International Hockey Federation Youth Committee from 1983 to 1987 and was awarded the International Hockey Federation Diploma of Merit in 1995.

He was Chairman of National Association of Kenya Olympians from 2000 to 2007.

Hardev’s younger brother, Jagjit, also an Olympian, who is currently in Nairobi,  informs me that the funeral will probably be this Thursday (2.1.2014) in Nairobi.

Hardev is survived by his wife Harbhajan and three children, Harvinder, Hardeep and Harpreet.