Journo: I want to take your interview
Gill: Take, hurry up
Journo: What do you want to say about India’s poor show at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup?
Gill: What do you want me to say? That is an old news.
Journo: I just wish to know the reasons behind our poor show.
Gill: You don’t seem to know the reasons. It looks you know nothing about hockey, how teams are prepared. Do your homework first before coming to me.
Journo: Sir, we have lost all but one match there
Gill: Yes. You are correct.
Journo: We have conceded too many goals
Gill: Yes.
Journo: We have not scored too many goals either.
Gill: Pose this question to forwards, not to me.
Journo: We gave away too many penalty corners too
Gill: What do you think? I will answer this silly question. Go and ask our defenders.
Journo: If don’t score and don’t defend how can we win, Sir?
Gill: Exactly. You are correct. Our players after 1966 are losers.
Journo: This means we should not send teams to any tournaments?
Gill: You are a mischievous journalist. What is your name? Who is your editor?
Journo (swabbing his sweat): Akash Times. Editor is…
Gill: Hurry up
Journo: Ram Prasad
Gill: He is a good person. I know him. I will complain to him about you. Do you read Bandu newspaper?
Journo: No, Sir.
Gill: Go and read. They talk high of my administration.
Journo: Exactly Sir. Is administration one of the reasons for our defeats?
Gill: Are you still around. No. Not all
Journo: Even as teams lose you win elections, how is that sir?
Gill: What election?
Journo: AGM in Kolkata and the IHF election
Gill: You were in Kolkata
Journo: No, Sir.
Did you attend the AGM?
Journo: No.
Gill: Then, how do you say there was election?
Journo (shocked): You mean there was no election at Kolkata at all!
Gill: You try to put words into my mouth. I can’t allow this. You wanted to talk about Azlan Cup, but drifted.
Journo: Yes, Sir. Exactly Sir. Will you please say why have we lost?
Gill: You wasted so much of my time still did not understand anything. Go and ask coach?
Journo: Which coach Sir. Rajinder Senior or Junior?
Gill: As a policy matter we don’t differentiate between senior and junior. All are equal before the IHF.
Journo: No Sir, am asking which coach, Rajinder Sr. or Rajinder Jr. I should ask about.
Gill: You are repeating the same question. I already answered for this.
Journo: No Sir. You have not answered yet
Gill: What? You don’t understand English. Which language I should talk, Hindi, Punjabi, what?
Enlightened journalist quietly withdraws from the scene even as unperturbed ramrod Gill turns and picks up his glass.