Legendary hockey star Balbir Singh Sr. passes away
Dharshana Kathiresan, INN/Chennai, @Infodeaofficial
One of India’s greatest hockey players, Balbir Singh Sr, passed away in Chandigarh on Monday after battling with over multiple health issues for the past two weeks. The 96-year-old, three-time Olympic gold medalist is survived by his daughter Sushbir and three sons Kanwalbir, Karanbir and Gurbir.
According to PTI, Abhijit Singh, the Director of Fortis Hospital, on Monday said, “He died at around 6:30 in the morning”. He was admitted there on May 8.
Balbir Sr was in a semi-comatose state since May 18 and had developed a blood clot in his brain after being first admitted to the hospital for bronchial pneumonia with a high fever.
He was the only Indian among the 16 legends chosen by the International Olympic Committee across modern Olympic history. His world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men’s hockey final of the Olympics still remains unbeaten. He was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri in 1957.
This greatest athlete was part of three Olympic gold medal winning teams in 1948 (London), 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne). He was the captain of the Indian team at the Melbourne Olympics and was the vice-captain during the Helsinki Olympics. He was the manager of India’s only World Cup-winning side in 1975. Also in the Asian Games 1982, Delhi, he was given the honour of lighting the torch.
“With deep sadness, we received the news of demise of the beloved Padma Shri Mr. Balbir Singh Dosanjh. Certainly Balbir Singh will long be remembered for his devotedness and contributions for the field hockey in India and at global hockey arena as Balbir Singh left behind a legacy which will always be cherished and serve as a beacon for many budding talents. The Asian Hockey family also joins me to extend our deepest condolences on this bereavement,” said Dato Tayyab Ikram, Chief Executive of Asian Hockey Federation.
It was the fourth time in the past two years that Balbir Sr was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Last year in January, he spent more than three months in hospital because of bronchial pneumonia.
