Sprint icon Milkha Singh, the legendary athlete, and Asian gold medalist, passes away due to Post-COVID complications at 11.30 pm on June 18.
Milkha Singh was discharged from the hospital on May 30, 2021, but was admitted again on June 3, 2021, at Nehru Hospital Extension in Chandigarh. He already lost his wife, Nirmal Milkha Singh, former Indian volleyball captain, last week due to Covid-19 complications.
Milkha Singh’s wife also died after suffering from COVID-19 and battling the virus for more than 19 days.
The Four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion was tested positive for the COVID on May 20. On getting some complications, he got admitted to a hospital in Mohali on May 24, 2021. He was discharged from the hospital on May 30. But due to dipping oxygen levels, He was admitted to the COVID ward at the Nehru Hospital Extension in Chandigarh.
The legendary athlete had tested negative on Thursday this week.
Milkha Singh had been stable before Thursday evening. But, his condition turned critical this evening as he developed complications such as fever and dipping oxygen saturation levels, after a fight with COVID-19, in the ICU of the PGIMER hospital in Chandigarh.
PM Modi has Offered Condolences to his family through his Twitter handle.
In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians. His inspiring personality endeared himself to millions. Anguished by his passing away. pic.twitter.com/h99RNbXI28
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2021
Milkha Singh was born in Gobindpura – in present-day Pakistan. He was the first Indian athlete to win gold in the then British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958. But, his greatest accomplishment was finishing at fourth place in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics. His timing at the Italian capital ‘Rome’ remained the national record for 38 years, Paramjeet Singh broke it in 1998. He was bestowed the Padma Shri in 1959.