Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, aka MK Kaushik, passed away on Saturday due to coronavirus. MK Kaushik was a legend of Indian hockey, a former member of the Indian men’s hockey team, ex-coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, gold medallist at 1980 Summer Olympics and an Arjuna award winner in 1998. Kaushik had been battling coronavirus since a few days and on Thursday, Hockey India said that it will transfer Rs 5 lakh to help in his treatment. However, PTI reported that he could not make it.
Kaushik had tested positive for Covid-19 last month and despite symptoms, his RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests returned negative on April 17. A week later however, he was diagnosed with pneumonia due to coronavirus following a CT scan on chest.
“Since then he has been hospitalized and his condition is between neither stable nor serious. His oxygen level drops drastically at night, which is a major issue," Kaushik’s son Eshan had told PTI.
Earlier in the day, a member of the same 1980 Olympics hockey team Ravinder Pal Singh also succumbed to coronavirus in Lucknow. Singh was admitted at the Vivekananda Hospital on April 24 after contracting the deadly virus. According to family sources, Singh had recovered from the virus and was shifted to non-COVID ward on Thursday after testing negative. But his condition suddenly deteriorated on Friday and he was put on a ventilator.
Former captain of the Indian men’s hockey team Viren Rasquinha took to Twitter to express his sadness over the death of the two hockey legends on the same day. “Really sad day for Indian hockey and Indian sport. Two legends have passed away in a single day succumbing to covid-19 complications - Ravinder Pal Singh and MK Kaushik. Both were 1980 Moscow Olympics Hockey Gold medallists. Just too shocked," he wrote.
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