Legendary athlete Hari Chand, who won two gold medals at 1978 Asian Games, passes away
Chandigarh/Hoshiarpur, June 13
Hari Chand, a two-time gold medallist at the Asian Games and former national record holder, passed away last night. Chand, who received the Arjuna Award in 1975, was 69. The two-time Olympian had been ill for some time.
Chand, who hailed from Ghorewaha village in Hoshiarpur district, reached the pinnacle of his brilliant career at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, winning gold medals in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres.
Two years earlier, Chand had set the 10,000m national record at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, finishing eighth in his heat. His record of 28 minutes, 48.72 seconds stood for 32 years before Surendra Singh bettered it. He also participated at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
‘Running barefoot’
“Hari Chand, my teammate in the 1980 Olympic Games, is a legend of Indian sport,” said Adille Sumariwalla, president of the Athletics Federation of India. “It saddens me and the entire fraternity that he has passed. It is a loss to the community as well. AFI and the athletics community pray for Hari Chand’s soul to attain peace and extend our deepest sympathy to the family,” he added.
“It is a tribute to his determination that he was able to set a national record in the Olympic Games. He knew that getting a place in the 15-man final was going to be tough and pushed himself, despite running barefoot, to get the time he did,” said Sumariwalla. “Along with Shivnath Singh, he played a big role in sustaining the popularity of distance running,” he added.
‘Simple man’
Born on April 1, 1953, Chand started achieving success in sports while still in school at his village. While his father had wanted Chand to become a wrestler, he pursued his passion for running. He burst onto the national scene in 1970 after winning the 3000m title at the National Junior Championships.
Despite being short in stature, Chand impressed all with his extraordinary endurance and speed. He even found encouragement from legendary coaches JS Saini and Jagmohan Singh.
“As an athlete he was incredible. He would just not tire. He was also very fast, especially his finish. He would blow away his competition in the final stages of the race,” said Sukhvir Singh Grewal, who was part of the Indian men’s hockey team that won silver at the 1978 Asian Games.
“It is upsetting to hear the news of his passing. We were good friends during our playing days. We were together in the national camps from 1974 to 1978,” he added.
“He was a simple man, very jovial and carefree. All he did was train and hang out with friends. But as an athlete, he was exceptional. I went to watch both his races at the 1978 Asiad and was captivated by his performances. He won both his races by such a big lead,” he added.
At the 1978 Asian Games, Chand won the 5,000m final by over five seconds and the 10,000m final by over nine seconds.
Chand, who retired from the Central Reserve Police Force as a Commandant after joining as a Head Constable, stayed connected with the sport, mentoring young athletes in Hoshiarpur.
