Harnam Singh Grewal

Harnam Singh Grewal
Personal information
Nationality	Hong Kong
Born	5 December 1937 (age 86); British Hong Kong
Sport
Sport	Field hockey
Club	Nav Bharat Club, Hong Kong

Harnam Singh Grewal (高禮和) CBE ED (born 5 December 1937) is a former Hong Kong hockey player and career civil servant. Growing up and living most of his life in Hong Kong, Grewal served in the Government of Hong Kong upon completing his university education. During his career, he held the posts of Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Secretary for Transport, and Secretary for the Civil Service. He retired to Canada in the 1990s.^[1]

Heritage

Grewal's family originates from Punjab, India.^{[citation needed]}

Early days

Grewal was born in Hong Kong, but spent most of his childhood in his ancestral village of Ballowal in Ludhiana District, Punjab. He initially attended primary school in the village, but later continued his schooling at Sir Ellis Kadoorie School when his family returned to Hong Kong in 1947. There, Grewal went on to attend King's College for his secondary education, and began his tertiary studies in 1956 at the University of Hong Kong. He graduated with a BA in English in 1959 and completed a diploma in education the following year. Grewal then went on to England, where he studied at the University of Cambridge for two years before returning in 1962.

Grewal is an avid field hockey fan, and in his younger days represented Hong Kong as a player at the international level, with the high points being the 1962 Asian Games in Djakarta (now Jakarta), the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok (1966), and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was an active member of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) from 1963 to 1984 when he retired with the rank of Major. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Regiment in 1987 and served in that capacity until 1990.

Career with the Hong Kong government

Grewal initially taught at Queen's College, Hong Kong from 1962 to 1964. When the Government was recruiting administrative officers for the 1964 intake, he applied and was taken on. Grewal served in various posts over the years, including that of District Officer Taipo (1970–1973), Deputy Director of Urban Services (New Territories) (1976–1980), and Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service (1980–1984). He was appointed Commissioner of Customs and Excise in 1984, followed by his appointment as Secretary for Transport in 1986. He took on the portfolio of the Secretary for the Civil Service in early 1987 and held that position for just under three years. He retired in 1990.^[1]

Olympian

Grewal was an Olympic field hockey player for Hong Kong during the 1964 Summer Olympics.^[2]

Retirement

He retired to Canada at the end of 1990.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b Joseph Y.S. Cheng; Richard Y.C. Wong (1990). The Other Hong Kong Report 1990. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. p. 96. ISBN 962-201-494-1. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Harnam Singh Grewal Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
^ "Harnam Grewal".

External links

Political offices
Preceded by David Robert Ford	Secretary for the Civil Service 1987 – 1990	Succeeded by Edward Barrie Wiggham
Government offices
Preceded by Douglas Arthur Jordan	Commissioner of Customs and Excise 1984 – 1986	Succeeded by Patrick John Williamson

[hk1990-1] Joseph Y.S. Cheng; Richard Y.C. Wong (1990). The Other Hong Kong Report 1990. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. p. 96. ISBN 962-201-494-1. Retrieved 18 April 2010.

[SportsRef-2] Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Harnam Singh Grewal Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2019.

[3] "Harnam Grewal".

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