Chandigarh: Nirmal Kaur, former Indian women’s volleyball team captain and wife of sprint legend Milkha Singh, dies in a Mohali hospital COVID-19 related complications on Sunday. She was 85 and is survived by her husband, one son and three daughters.
“We are very sad to inform you that Mrs. Nirmal Milkha Singh dies after a brave fight against COVID today at 16:00, ”reads a statement from the spokesperson of the Milkha family.
‘She was 85 years old as a backbone of the Milkha family. It is tragic that the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh ji could not attend the cremation that took place tonight himself as he himself is still in the ICU (from PGIMER in Chandigarh). Amarinder Singh, Prime Minister of Punjab, comforted Kaur’s death.
“I am saddened by the death of one of the iconic volleyball players who brought several honors to the country, which made every Punjabi proud,” Singh said in his message.
Nirmal, who contracted the deadly virus last month, was taken to Fortis Hospital in Mohali on May 26, two days after Milkha was admitted to the same facility due to COVID-pneumonia.
Milkha was discharged a week later at the request of the family, but Nirmal remained in hospital and cured the dreaded infection. Milkha was later admitted to PGIMER’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is currently ‘stable and improving’.
A former director of Sports for Women in the Punjab government and former captain of the Indian national volleyball team, Nirmal fought a brave fight to the end, the family spokesperson said.
“The family thanked everyone gratefully for their solidarity and prayers through the fight that gave them the strength to brave it.” Although she was still stable for many days, her condition continued to deteriorate.
Earlier, Nirmal had to be placed at intervals on a high-flow nasal canal and non-invasive ventilation after its oxygen level dropped, Fortis Hospital said in one of its previous updates. Milkha and his wife are suspected of contracting the infection from a domestic worker.
Nirmal’s son and vulture golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and daughter Mona Milkha Singh, who is a doctor in the United States, were present during the last rites.
Both Jeev and Mona flew from Dubai and the US to Chandigarh after their parents became ill.
Source: Telangana Today