Milkha Singh passes away after long battle with Covid

A couple of days after returning negative and shifted out of the Covid-ICU, four-time Asian Games gold medallist Milkha Singh passed away due to post-Covid complications at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) hospital here on Friday. He was 90."Dad just passed away," his son and legendary golfer Jeev Milkha Singh confirmed TOI over a text message.

While the family was yet to come to terms with the passing away of the 85-year-old Nirmal Kaur, who succumbed to Covid-related complications at a private hospital in Mohali on Sunday, the legendary athlete lost a valiant battle after developing fever and a dip in oxygen saturation level from Thursday night in the medical ICU of the PGI hospital.

The Padma Shri awardee had contracted Covid-19 on May 19, and was earlier admitted at the Covid ICU of the same hospital before returning negative on Wednesday. The 1958 Commonwealth Games gold medallist was admitted to the PGIMER on June 3 after his oxygen levels dipped at home following treatment at the Fortis hospital in Mohali for a week.

The legendary athlete’s greatest performance remains the fourth-place finish in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics. He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics.