Kolkata, Apr 13: Former hockey Olympians on Sunday demanded that Indian Hockey Federation President K P S Gill step down immediately, owning moral responsiblity for the country's downslide in the national game over the years.

Aghast at India failing to make the cut for the Beijing Olympics, the first ever occasion when India would be out of the quadrennial showpiece, 1975 world cup winning team member Ashok Kumar said "Gill should resign. We need a change at the top of the IHF. His uninterrupted reign for 15 years has not done any good to Indian hockey".

"We badly need a change. In fact, I feel we would have done much better if there were three or four changes in the top post during the period," he said.

Echoing Ashok Kumar, Pargat Singh said "we need to see the back of Gil urgently. Everything in the world needs a change for the better over time. So, why shouldn't he go after his marathon reign?"

Two time Olympic gold medallist Keshav Dutt lambasted IHF and Gill for the 'sorry state' of Indian hockey, and said "There should be changes in the IHF".

Dhanraj Pillay did not name Gill, but called for changes in the IHF office-bearers.