Hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr passes away
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Hockey legend and three time Olympic gold medallist Balbir Singh Sr died in a private hospital at Mohali, near here, on Monday morning.
The 95-year-old hockey legend breathed his last at 0617 hours. He is survived by three sons and a daughter.
On May 8, Balbir Singh was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali in a very serious condition with multiple organ failure due to bronchial pneumonia. He was on ventilator support since May 12 and had tested negative for COVID-19. He had suffered cardiac arrests while in hospital.
One of the greatest hockey player, Balbir Singh Sr had spent 108 days in PGIMER here last year due to bronchial pneumonia.
He was a member of the 1948 London Olympics gold medal winning Indian team, vice-captain of 1952 Helsinki Olympic victorious Indian team and captain of 1956 Melbourne Olympics champion Indian team.
Singh's world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men's hockey final of the Olympics remains unbeaten. He had scored five goals in India's 6-1 victory over the Netherlands in the gold medal match of the 1952 Helsinki Games.
The hockey icon also coached the 1975 World Cup winning Indian team. He was the only Indian athlete among 16 athletes chosen by the International Olympic Committee as 'Iconic Olympians'.
Singh was awarded the Padma Shri in 1957 and conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Life Time Achievement Award in 2015.
