Punjab CM honours ailing hockey legend Balbir Singh

Chandigarh, July 9: In a goodwill gesture, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday visited ailing triple Olympic gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here to present him the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award for excellence in sports.

Amarinder Singh also told the iconic sportsman that he would recommend his name for Bharat Ratna.

Last month, the Chief Minister released an assistance amount of Rs 5 lakh for his treatment.

Balbir Singh, 94, was member of three Olympic gold medals winning teams – at London (1948), Helsinki (1952) and Melbourne (1956). He was also the captain of the Indian hockey team at Melbourne and the flag-bearer of the Indian Olympic contingent.

He was the manager of the 1975 World Cup winning team.