Keshav Dutt passed away. Two Olympic gold-winning hockey stars breathed their last on Tuesday night. He was 95 years old.
He passed away at his home in Santoshpur at 12:30 pm. The sports community is saddened by his death. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also tweeted. He wrote, ‘The hockey world has lost a legend. We are saddened by the passing away of Keshav Dutt. He won gold in the Olympics in 1948 and 1952. He is a champion of India and Bengal. Condolences to his family.
After independence, India won the first gold in London Olympics in 1948. Keshav was the center half back of that team. Indian Hockey chief Gyanendra Ningambam said, “I got the news of Keshav Dutt’s death in the morning. We are saddened. He was the only surviving member of the 1948 and 1952 Olympic teams. It feels like the end of an era.”
Keshav also played hockey for Mohun Bagan team for many days. He won the Hockey League six times and the Brighton Cup three times for the Green Maroons. In 2019, Keshav received the ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’ award. He was the first person to receive this honor despite not being a footballer.