Balbir Singh Sr with teammates summer 1948 Olympics

Balbir Singh the legendary flag-bearer in the 1948 Olympics was admitted to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at PGI Chandigarh.
The 94 year old is suffering from bronchial pneumonia. Doctors stated that, “He is critical and is admitted I the RICU. His heart rate is quite slow and blood pressure is very low.”

His condition was being closely being monitored by Doctors and would continue to be in the hospital for the now.
He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and made his India field hockey debut in 1948 at London Games. He scored his first two goals claiming his first gold, going on to win two more Olympics gold medals once in 1952 and as captain of the Indian team in 1956.
Scoring goals by the dozens during the matches played in London, Helsinki and Melbourne Olympics going on to be the first person to win the Padma Shri in 1957.

1975 saw him be the manager as also the chief coach of the 1975 World-cup winning Indian men hockey team.
Balbir Singh the center forward also has the honor of being chosen as the only Indian to be among a group of 16 Olympic legends in modern Olympic history.

His record of scoring the most goals in men’s final of the Olympics still stands 65 years later. Having scored five of the six goals that India scored in their victory against Netherlands during the gold medal final match in the 1952 Helsinki Games. He was also knows as a modern-day Dhyan Chand for the ability with which he played with his hockey stick. Checkout Indian hockey news here.