Ravi Shastri Condoles Demise Of Hockey Legend Balbir Singh Sr

Indian men's cricket team coach Ravi Shastri on Monday condoled the demise of hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr. (More Hockey News)

He died in a private hospital in Chandigarh on Monday, his family said. He was 96 and was in a critical condition for nearly a fortnight.

In a tweet Shastri said, "#BalBirSingh Ji- A True Giant and a half in his field. Hockey legend out and out. Condolences."

#BalBirSingh ji- A True Giant and a half in his field. Hockey legend out and out. Condolences 🙏 #BalbirSinghSenior pic.twitter.com/4xClWGmhkT

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) May 25, 2020

Former skipper of the Indian hockey team, Viren Rasquinha also took to Twitter to pay respect to the three-time Olympic gold medallist.

"Very sad to hear of the demise of legendary Olympian Balbir Singh Sr, 3 time Olympic gold medallist. This was from my last meeting with him in Delhi. He was always smiling, so mentally alert, and such a thorough gentleman. What a fine role model," Viren Rasquinha tweeted.

Very sad to hear of the demise of legendary Olympian Balbir Singh Sr, 3 time Olympic gold medallist. This was from my last meeting with him at Delhi. He was always smiling, so mentally alert and such a thorough gentleman. What a fine role model 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/Sn1wlgdEss

— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) May 25, 2020

Balbir was undergoing treatment at Fortis Mohali and was in a "semi-comatose condition". He was hospitalised on May 8 with high fever and breathing trouble. But, his COVID-19 test had come negative.

Balbir played a key role in India's Olympic victories in London (1948), as a vice-captain in Helsinki (1952) and as the captain in Melbourne (1956).

In his illustrious playing career from 1947-1958, Balbir won 61 international caps and scored a whopping 246 goals. He was also the manager of the 1975 World Cup-winning team.