Vijayawada: Shamsher Khan, India’s first Olympic swimmer, who had participated in the 1956 Summer Olympics and also in India's war against Pakistan and China, died at his native village Repalle on Sunday.
He was 92 and survived by three daughters and two sons.
Shamsher Khan breathed his last at his house in Islampur, a village near Repalle in Guntur. According to his elder son, Shamsher Khan, who was ailing for sometime, complained of chest pain but died before he could be taken to hospital.
The funeral rites would be performed in Islampur on Monday.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Leader of the Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Principal Secretary L.V. Subramanyam condoled the death of the sport legend.
A forgotten sports hero, he was the first swimmer to represent India in Olympics. He narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in 200 meter butterfly and breaststroke events in Melbourne Games.
Khan, who created national record in the butterfly event, had learnt swimming after joining the Army in 1946. He took part in the 1962 war against China and the 1971 war against Pakistan.
Shamsher Khan was recruited to the army in 1946 when he was 16-years-old. He was inducted into the Madras Engineer Group in Bangalore and went on to serve the country for 24 years. He learnt to swim with buffalos in the village pond but it was only when he joined the army that he was formally trained in the sport.
After serving for 24 years, he retired in 1973 as subedar (JCO). He lived his last years in poverty. While his eldest son is a farmer, his second son is working in a private company.
Post Comments
| Quick links