Asiad gold winner Hakam Singh no more

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Barnala, August 14

After battling for life for more than 26 days, Asian Games gold medallist and Dhyan Chand awardee Hakam Singh Bhattal breathed his last at a private hospital in Sangrur.

The 64-year-old, who won the gold in the 20km race walk event of the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, was suffering from liver and kidney-related problems.

His mortal remains were consigned to flames at his native village Bhathlan, where people from different walks of life paid homage to the former athlete. “Village people want to build a gate in the memory of my father. We hope district administration will accept our demand,” said Sukhjit Bhattal, son of the deceased.

Bhattal got the Dhyan Chand Award on August 29, 2008 from the then-President Pratibha Patil. He joined Punjab Police as a constable in 2003 and retired in 2014. Bhattal had also served as Havaldar in the 6 Sikh regiment. Former Congress MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh, sent by the Punjab government, to help the family. 

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had also sanctioned a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the ailing former athlete. Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said Punjab, as well as the country, would remember the glorious achievements of Bhattal in the sporting arena. He termed the passing away of Bhattal as the end of an era and an irreparable loss to the sports fraternity.