Veteran sports journalistHarpal Singh Bedi, who covered several highs and lows of Indian sports in acareer spanning over four decades, served as the national Olympic contingent’spress attache in 2012 and charmed the media box with his inimitable wit andwarmth, died after prolonged illness here on June 15.
He was 72 and is survivedby his wife Revathi and daughter Pallavi.
The former sports editorof the United News of India (UNI) was among the tallest figures in Indiansports journalism and was working as a consulting editor of the Statesmannewspaper for the last couple of years.
His awe-inspiring workexperience included on-ground coverage of eight Olympic Games, “hard to count”Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games, World Cups of cricket and hockey, andworld and national championships of athletics and other major Olympic sports.
Not to be forgotten washis ability to be a mentor to young journalists in the press box. He could makenervous newbies comfortable with his trademark humour.
Harpal Singh Bedi was aquintessential newsman, loved and respected…,” said veteran journalist andsports administrator G Rajaraman as he paid tributes to his former colleague.
His finger was on thepulse of Indian sport and sports administration,” Rajaraman, who will beIndia’s press attache at the upcoming Paris Olympics, told.
A close friend of BishanSingh Bedi, he was also often mistaken for the late Indian spin great.
We are close friends youknow, I am BSB, he is HSB. We go back a long way,” the former India captain,who passed away in 2023 after battling multiple health problems, had told thiscorrespondent once.
An alumnus of theprestigious Jawahar Lal Nehru University, where he did his Masters and M. Philfrom the School of International Studies, Bedi was considered a father figurein sports journalism by his colleagues.
He was witness to thechange and growth in the country’s sporting landscape from the time P T Ushaattained worldwide fame with her fourth place finish in the 1984 Los AngelesOlympics to the epoch-making gold medal that Abhinav Bindra won in the 2008Beijing Games.
Bedi’s fame alsotranscended borders and he became a popular figure with Pakistani journalistswhen he toured the country with the Indian cricket teams in 2004 and 2005. Hequite literally became a story for the local journalists for his jovialpersonality.
His understanding of theIndo-Pak relationship was at par with the best foreign affairs experts,”Rajaram recalled.
Senior Pakistani sportsjournalist Rasheed Shakoor was among those who befriended Bedi during thesetours.
Unke paas khabron ke saathsaath lateefon ka bhi khazana hota tha (He was a treasure trove of both newsand jokes),” Shakoor told.
His was such a jollypersonality. It was so easy to become his friend. I once wrote a piece abouthow he was mistaken for Bishan Singh Bedi and was interviewed by a TV channel.
I called him for a commentand I remember he laughed so much and made fun of me for writing about it.
Bohot hi pyaare insaan, jorespect dete the, aur badle mein unhe bohot respect milti thi (He was a lovelyhuman being. He gave respect to others and also earned a lot of respect).
The only recorded instancesof Bedi not being his jovial self in the press box were the times when theIndian hockey team performed poorly.
A passionate follower ofthe sport, Bedi could be seen muttering under his breath in frustration whilefuriously typing his reports much to the amusement of his colleagues.
The only journalist I knewwho could laugh at himself. The press box will not be the same without him,”said Vijay Lokapally, the former senior editor of ‘The Hindu’.
However, Bedi’s health haddeteriorated in the past one year and he mostly kept to himself.
Harpal Singh Bedi ji, themost cheerful among sports journalists, is no longer among us.
Rest in peace,” 2008Olympic bronze-winning boxer Vijender Singh posted on his social media page,offering his tributes.
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