Kolkata: Two-time gold medal winning hockey Olympian Jaswant Singh Rajput, 88, passed away on Wednesday morning following a prolonged illness, according to the Bengal Hockey Association.
“He was suffering from age related illness for more than a month and was looked after by his niece at his Bradford Lane residence near Park Street,” a BHA official said.
His last rites would be performed on Thursday.
Paying glowing tributes to Jaswant Singh Rajput, former Olympian Gurbux Singh said: “He was part of the galaxy of stars that made India proud. He was unassuming and made Kolkata his home after shifting base.”
The former India centre-half was part of the gold medal winning teams in 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
With the likes of Leslie Claudius, Keshav Dutt and Meldric Daluz, Jaswant had formed a lethal foursome and was part of a golden era in Bengal hockey with as many as seven players in the Helsinki-bound side.
He shifted from Delhi to pursue his career in hockey and played for Bhowanipore Club before moving to Mohun Bagan in 1952.