New Delhi, India, July 7, 2021: The President of the Indian Olympic Association and International Hockey Federation, Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, led the tributes to hockey great Keshav Datt, who passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, July 7. He was 95.
“My deepest condolences on the sad demise of the legendary Keshav Datt. With thoughts and prayers,” wrote the IOA President, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Datt, who was born in Lahore on December 27, 1925, won two Olympic Games gold medals with the Indian hockey team – at London 1948 and Helsinki 1952, when he was vice captain.
Playing halfback, he is widely regarded as one of the finest hockey players India has produced.
Datt came into the limelight while representing Punjab in the National Championship in undivided India. After Partition he went to Bombay and then moved to Calcutta in 1950. He represented Bombay and Bengal in the National Championships as well, reports the Indian Express.
Mohun Bagan conferred him with the Mohun Bagan Ratna award in 2019.
