Legendary Hockey player Michael Kindo no more

Rourkela: Olympian and former Indian Hockey defender Michael Kindo passed away while undergoing treatment at the Ispat General Hospital (IGH), Rourkela today. He was 74.

Hospital sources said Kindo breathed his last at around 3:15 PM. He had been unwell for past several days and was admitted to the IGH. He was a resident from Jharkhand.

Kindo was a recipient of the Arjuna Award. He represented India in 1972 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal. He was a member of the Indian Hockey team that won the World Cup in 1975.

He represented the Odisha Hockey team and won awards on several occasions after joining the RSP.

Hockey India, too, mourned the death of the versatile full back.

“We are deeply saddened by the demise of our former hockey player and 1975 World Cup winner, Michael Kindo. We send out our heartfelt condolences to his family,” said Hockey India.

Kindo was part of the Indian team that beat Pakistan in the final of the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur. It remains the only World Cup title that the Indian men’s team has won and the team has also won only one Olympic medal since 1972 Munich — gold at the Moscow Olympics.

“Deeply saddened to know the passing away of hockey legend and Arjuna Awardee #MichaelKindo, a tribal icon and part of India’s World Cup winning team of 1975. My thoughts are with his family and fans,” said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

(With Agency Inputs)