Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of sprint legend Milkha Singh on Friday, saying the country has lost a colossal sportsperson who captured the nation's imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians.
Indian sprint legend Milkha Singh died on Friday after a month-long battle with COVID-19, during which he lost his former national volleyball captain wife Nirmal Kaur to the same ailment.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also quashed the rumours and wished Milkha a speedy recovery.
After rain ensured no play on Day 1, the match finally commenced on Saturday as New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
His COVID positive wife Nirmal Kaur (82), however, "continues to battle it out bravely," according to the spokesperson.
Milkha had earlier said that a couple of house helps had been infected by the virus after which his family underwent tests.
She was 85 and is survived by her husband, one son and three daughters.
And, as promised, the film's star cast kept their date with the legendary athlete and posted pictures of their visit on Twitter.
From Neeraj Chopra to Harbhajan Singh to Saina Mirza, India's top sportsperson mourned the passing away of one of the country's biggest sporting icons.
'He showed our athletes that with dedication and willpower you can come to Olympics and win medals even if facilities are not there.'
Stalwarts of Indian sports paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday, describing him as a visionary, who had quiet strength and humility.
PM Modi had also taken a review meeting to take stock of how the preparations of India's athletes are going
PM Modi immediately took to Twitter to congratulate the athlete.
'Today, he has lived up to everyone's expectations and made India proud'
'I am just making a creative film. It has nothing to do with propaganda.'
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