SINGAPORE – Even in his 90s, former national hockey player Ajit Singh Gill’s love and passion for sport and the Olympics never diminished.
Singapore’s oldest Olympian, who competed in the 1956 Melbourne Games, died on Jan 16 aged 95 after battling end-stage renal failure. He is survived by his 92-year-old wife Surjit Kaur, five children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
His family and friends in the sports community remember him as a sport-loving man whose kind and indefatigable spirit inspired many.
His eldest son Dr Mel Gill, who is a psychologist, said that his father fractured his hip last February after a fall but “healed sufficiently in three months”. However, his health deteriorated later on owing to renal failure.
He added: “I was with him in his final moments. He had difficulty breathing and stared at me, and I believe he wanted to tell me to take care of myself. That was how he was, always concerned about others’ welfare, and very generous in his giving without expecting anything in return.”
His daughter, former English teacher Inderbeer Kaur Gill, teared as she recounted how as a young girl her father had encouraged her to participate in the New Nation Big Walk, and how heartened she felt to see him driving along the route to cheer her on.
She said: “He pushed his children to be the best we could be without overstepping boundaries.”
Singapore National Olympic Council president Grace Fu was saddened by the news of his death. Extending her condolences to his family, she said: “Ajit was the quintessential sportsman of his time... he remained active in Singapore sports after his competitive sporting career and participated in many activities. He will be greatly missed.”
Noting that he was then one of two surviving members of the 1956 Olympic team, Singapore Hockey Federation president Mathavan Devadas said: “I’d known him for over 50 years since he was a school teacher. He was an iconic figure. He was someone who, even into his 90s, was very active, still playing golf and he would always be available to come for events, to talk to players and share his experiences – he was an inspiration.”
Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1928, Ajit Singh Gill was the oldest of 10 siblings and lived by his father’s teachings, which were to “work hard, don’t drink, don’t smoke, speak the truth and don’t be afraid of anyone”.
Having lived through the Japanese occupation in Malaya during World War II, he would take a train to Singapore to buy goods from the now-defunct Sungei Road Market, return to KL and cycle up to 80km to sell his wares in the countryside to support his family.
Scrawny as a young boy, he overcame childhood asthma through playing sports in the kampung and at 17 was good enough to represent Selangor in hockey, excelling as a fullback.
His commitment to the team was unmatched and he told of how he was once whacked in the face by an opponent’s stick in an inter-state game against Malacca. Despite five broken teeth, he played on and helped them win the match.
He moved to Singapore in 1951 to enrol in the Teacher’s Training College and five years later, he was on a flight to Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics, where he and his teammates finished eighth in Singapore hockey’s first and only appearance at the Games.
That Olympics were also special as he bought a proposal ring for Surjit Kaur from the gold mines of Ballarat, which is 90 minutes from Melbourne by car.
In the 1960s, he swopped his hockey stick for a cricket bat and kept swinging as a Singapore international, hitting fours and sixes with ease – legend has it that the 1.58m man nicknamed the “big-hitting Sikh” once scored a century in 68 minutes in 1968.
After retiring from coaching cricket and hockey in 1985, in his later years he played golf and race walked. And he kept winning. In 1990, he topped the Asean Senior Amateur Golf Championship and 26 years later, he claimed gold in the 5,000m race walk at the Asia Masters Athletics Championships on home soil.
Another proud sporting moment for the former English and mathematics teacher came in 2010, when he was one of 2,400 torchbearers – and the oldest – of the Singapore leg of the Youth Olympic Games torch relay.
Former The Straits Times sports editor Godfrey Robert, who knew Ajit Singh Gill for more than five decades, said: “I attended his 90th birthday celebrations at the Singapore Island Country Club and was not amazed he was performing the bhangra dance to energetic loud music at that age, as he was still playing golf, pulling the cart over nine holes at the Island course most mornings.
“A cheerful, sprightly small man who made a mockery of size as he weaved past big hockey defenders, and feared no opponent in golf, cricket or athletics, Ajit will still be a perfect role model to young, aspiring athletes.”
Ajit Singh Gill’s wake is being held at 65 Munshi Abdullah Avenue from Jan 16 to 17. The cortege leaves for Mandai Crematorium Hall 3 at 6.45pm on Jan 17.
• Additional reporting by Kimberly Kwek