Hockey legend Keshav Datt dies at 95
New Delhi: Two-time Olympic gold medallist in hockey, Keshav Datt, died on Wednesday due to age-related ailments. Datt was 95.
The former centre halfback died around 12.30 am at his residence in Santoshpur, Kolkata.
Datt was part of India’s golden era in hockey.
A formidable halfback, he was part India’s historic feat at the 1948 Olympics where they beat home team Britain 4-0 at the Wembley Stadium in London to win the first gold post Independence.
Before the 1948 Olympics, Datt had toured East Africa under the leadership of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand in 1947.
Born on December 29, 1925 in Lahore, Datt was also part of the Indian team at 1952 Helsinki Games, where they beat Netherlands 6-1 in the summit clash to become the Olympic champions for the fifth consecutive time.
An integral part of the Indian team, Datt also captained the Mohun Bagan hockey squad from 1951-1953 and again in 1957-1958.
As a Mohun Bagan player he won the hockey league six times and Beighton Cup three times in a span of 10 years.
He was conferred with the Mohun Bagan Ratna award in 2019, becoming the first non-footballer recipient of the honour.
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