The British shooter had also served as the head coach of his country's shotgun team.

Gill represented Britain at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

At the Auckland 1990 Commonwealth Games, Englishman Gill won an individual silver medal in the trap event and a gold in the pairs, alongside Ian Peel.

Peel is among those who have paid tribute to Gill, saying he had been "not only been an exceptional competitor, and a friend, but a true ambassador of the sport of clay shooting in every way".

"Shooting in the UK and around the world will not be the same without him, the sport is poorer for our loss," Peel concluded.

On top of his Commonwealth Games success, Gill won double trap medals at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships, including two individual silvers.

As a coach he played a role in British success such as Peter Wilson’s London 2012 gold medal and, more recently, Matthew Coward-Holley winning trap gold at the ISSF 2019 World Shotgun Championships.

Peel believes that was Gill's "proudest moment".

British Shooting performance director Steven Seligmann joined the tributes.

"He had great commitment and passion for shooting in Great Britain and whenever he put on the GB tracksuit it was always with immense pride and joy," Seligmann said.

"As a coach he was instrumental in progressing shotgun shooting across the pathway, in particular the World Class Programme, the Shotgun Series and at international level including the London and Rio Olympics. 

"There are many fond memories of Kevin on and off the shooting range and he will be sadly missed by the shooting community."

British Shooting chief executive Hamish McInnes echoed those thoughts, saying he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the news.

"He leaves behind a fantastic legacy, and his passing will be felt throughout the shooting community not only domestically, but internationally," McInnes added.