Paramjit Singh Grewal, Long-time Secretary of Kila Raipur Rural Olympics, Passes Away in USA

Ludhiana, September 29, 2026: Paramjit Singh Grewal, popularly known as “Pammi”, who served for many years as Secretary of the historic Kila Raipur Rural Olympics, has passed away in the United States. He was 76. His cremation will be held on October 3 at 10 a.m. at the crematorium of North Sacramento Funeral Home, El Camino Avenue, North Sacramento, California. The information was shared by his son, Shavi Grewal. Paramjit Singh Grewal was closely associated with Punjab’s sporting fraternity for several decades. Before serving for a long period as a hockey coach in the Punjab Sports Department, he also worked as a hockey coach at Government Guru Nanak College, Kala Afghana, and Government College, Ludhiana.
Sporting legacy ran deep in the Grewal family. His father, Tara Singh Grewal, was among the founders of the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics and also served as its Secretary for many years. Remembering his close association with the sporting and cultural community, Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Chairman of Punjabi Lok Virasat Academy, recalled that Paramjit was his junior by a year at Government College, Ludhiana, and that their friendship continued until his final days. He fondly recalled attending Paramjit’s wedding at Barundi, Ludhiana, with a large group of friends.
Paramjit was also a course-mate of Gurdas Maan and Gill Surjit at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. While Paramjit trained in hockey, Gurdas Maan and Gill Surjit were associated with judo. His contribution to the cultural dimension of the Kila Raipur Games was equally significant. According to noted lyricist and his close friend Shamsher Singh Sandhu, Paramjit’s initiative, with the support of Jagdev Singh Jassowal and other friends, helped bring leading Punjabi singers to the games, including Amarjit Gurdaspuri, Muhammad Sadiq, Ranjit Kaur, Surinder Shinda, Kuldeep Manak, Hardeep Mohali, Jaswant Sandila, Fakir Chand Patanga, Sucheta Bala, Parminder Sandhu, Pammi Bai, Surjit Bindrakhia, Jazzy B, Hans Raj Hans, Dilshad Akhtar and Harbhajan Mann. Plays by legendary Punjabi theatre personality Gursharan Singh were also staged at the Games on several occasions after the sporting events .The news of his demise has cast a pall of grief over Punjab’s sporting and cultural circles. Condolences have been conveyed to his wife and family by Sarwan Singh Channi, former Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana and later Chief Secretary, Punjab; Teja Singh Dhaliwal, veteran figure of Indian basketball; Padma Shri Baldev Singh, renowned hockey coach; Arjuna Awardee Hardeep Singh Grewal, captain of the Indian hockey team at the 1986 Asian Games; Prithipal Singh Batala, President of Surjit Sports Association, Batala; Punjabi writer Principal Sarwan Singh Dhudhike; sports writer Prabhjot Singh; Jagroop Singh Jarkhar; Navdeep Singh Gill; Prof. Sukhwant Singh Gill, Batala; retired ETO Gurdeep Singh Ghullal; former DIPRO Darshan Singh Shankar; former Member of Parliament Amrik Singh Aliwal; former Punjab Minister Malkit Singh Dakha; K. K. Bawa, Chairman, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Foundation; senior political leader Gurdev Singh Lapran; Brij Bhushan Goyal, spokesperson of the Old Students’ Association of Government College, Ludhiana; and Punjabi folk singers Pammi Bai, Hardeep Mohali and Jaswant Sandila, besides Pali Detwalia, who conveyed condolences from Australia.
Paramjit Singh Grewal’s long association with the Kila Raipur Games, hockey and Punjabi cultural life leaves behind a significant legacy that will be remembered by the sporting and cultural fraternity of Punjab, said many alumni of SCD Govt College, Ludhiana .