Indian men's cricket team coach Ravi Shastri on Monday condoled the demise of hockey legend Balbir Singh.
In a tweet Shastri said, "#BalBirSingh Ji- A True Giant and a half in his field. Hockey legend out and out. Condolences."
Former skipper of the Indian hockey team, Viren Rasquinha also took to Twitter to condole the demise of Balbir Singh.
"Very sad to hear of the demise of legendary Olympian Balbir Singh Sr, 3 time Olympic gold medallist. This was from my last meeting with him in Delhi. He was always smiling, so mentally alert, and such a thorough gentleman. What a fine role model," Viren Rasquinha tweeted.
The veteran hockey player had suffered a cardiac arrest on May 12 and after that, he suffered two more cardiac arrests during the course of his admission in the hospital.
"Balbir Singh passed away this morning," his grandson Kabir said in a statement on Monday.
Balbir Singh was a three-time Olympic gold champion. He played a key role in India's Olympic victories in London (1948), as a vice-captain in Helsinki (1952) and as the captain in Melbourne (1956).
In his illustrious playing career from 1947-1958, Balbir Sr. won 61 international caps and scored a whopping 246 goals. He was also the manager of the 1975 World Cup-winning team.
( With inputs from ANI )