Chandigarh: Hockey legend Balbir Singh Senior Sunday tested negative for COVID-19 but remained in critical condition as he battled bronchial pneumonia at a hospital here.
“His COVID-19 report is negative,” the 96-year-old’s maternal grandson, Kabir said.
“His condition is still critical as he continues to remain on ventilator. Even though he is slightly better than what he was upon admission, he is not yet stable,” Kabir said.
Balbir Sr was taken to the private hospital from his residence in Sector 36 in Chandigarh, where he lives with his daughter Sushbir and Kabir.
Balbir Sr was running high fever Thursday night. Since his conditions didn’t improve, so the family shifted him to a private hospital.
In January last year, Balbir Sr was discharged from PGIMER, Chandigarh after spending 108 days in the hospital, where he underwent treatment for bronchial pneumonia.
“It is an unparalleled achievement and credit to his grit that he could recover at the age of 95 from bronchial pneumonia and near cardiac failure,” Prof Jagat Ram, Director PGIMER had then said when the former India captain was discharged.
During the 2012 London Olympics, the iconic centre forward was honoured as the only Indian among 16 chosen legends in the history of modern Games.
His world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men’s hockey final of the Olympics still stands. He 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 and was also the manager of India’s only World Cup winning team in 1975.
PTI
