India’s 1980 Olympic hockey gold medal hero Ravindra Pal Singh dies

Dubai: Former hockey star Ravindra Pal Singh, a member of India’s gold medal-winning team of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, passed away early on Saturday morning. He was 62.

Singh was recovering from COVID-19, but still had breathing issues, “felt depressed” and had anxiety. After his condition deteriorated on Friday, he was taken to intensive care and put on a ventilator before he died on Saturday.

Besides playing in the 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Singh appeared in several top international tournaments, including the Champions Trophy in Karachi (1980 and 1983), the Silver Jubilee 10-Nation Cup (Hong Kong, 1983), World Cup (Mumbai, 1982), Asia Cup (Karachi, 1982), the 1981 India-Pakistan Test series, and the Malaysian Quadrangular series in 1980.

Singh began his international career in 1979. He was picked in the junior Indian team for the World Cup.

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said: “I’m deeply saddened to learn that Shri Ravinder Pal Singh ji has lost the battle to COVID-19. With his passing away, India loses a golden member of the hockey team that won gold in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. His contribution to Indian sports will always be remembered.”