Former Indian volleyball captain Nirmal Milkha Singh loses life to COVID

New Delhi: Former Indian volleyball captain and wife of sprinter Milkha Singh---Nirmal Kaur breathed her last after fighting a long battle with COVID-19 in a hospital in Mohali, Punjab.She was 85.

Milkha Singh family said in a statement on Sunday, "We are deeply saddened to inform you that Mrs Nirmal Milkha Singh passed away after a valiant battle against COVID at 4 PM today."

She suffered from Covid pneumonia and was on High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) and Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) support since June 4 and is survived by husband Milkha Singh apart from three daughters Dr Mona Singh, Aleeza Grover, Sonia Sanwalka and son Jeev Milkha Singh.

Nirmal was cremated on Sunday evening. Milkha Singh, who is still in the ICU of PGIMER, could not attend the cremation.

Milkha Singh in a chapter titled 'The jewels in my crown' in his autobiography--- The Race of My Life, wrote, "Nimmi is a devoted wife and mother. I am still amazed by how efficiently she manages her personal and professional life without letting either of them suffer."

The couple had married on May 5, 1963 and had first met in Sri Lanka in 1959, where Milkha had gone to compete in an athletics competition and Nirmal was captaining the Indian women's volleyball team.(UNI)