Balbir Singh Sr, a three-time Olympic gold medal-winning legend of Indian hockey, died in Chandigarh on Monday after battling multiple health issues for over two weeks.
The iconic player was 95 and is survived by his daughter Sushbir and three sons—Kanwalbir, Karanbir and Gurbir.
"He died around 6:30 this morning," Abhijit Singh, director of Fortis Hospital, Mohali, where he was admitted on May 8, told PTI.
Balbir Sr was in a semi-comatose state since May 18 and had developed a blood clot in his brain after being first admitted to the hospital for bronchial pneumonia with high fever.
One of the country's greatest athletes, Balbir Sr was the only Indian among 16 legends chosen by the International Olympic Committee across modern Olympic history.
His world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men's hockey final of the Olympics still remains unbeaten.
Balbir Sr had scored five goals in India's 6-1 victory over the Netherlands in the gold medal match of the 1952 Helsinki Games. He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1957.
Balbir Sr's three Olympic gold medals came in London (1948), Helsinki (1952) as vice-captain, and Melbourne (1956) as captain.
He was also the manager of India's only World Cup-winning side in 1975.