Asian Games double gold medallist and Olympian Hari Chand passed away on Monday morning at the age of 69.
Born on April 1, 1953, the former long distance runner hailed from Ghorewah village in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Chand was one of the greatest long distance runners India has ever produced.
Chand then took part in the 1980 Olympic Men’s Marathon where the Indian completed the race with a timing of 2:22:08 at Lenin Stadium, Moskva.
Chand incredibly bagged two gold medals at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. In Thailand, Chand was on the top step of the podium in both 5000m and 10,000m events.
For his contribution to sports in India, Hari Chand was also conferred with Arjuna Award.
“It’s a great loss for Indian sport. In the CRPF, he was my superior. He was so competitive and yet so simple. He used to groom players everywhere he went. I personally learned a lot from him.