Hoshiarpur: Asian Games double gold medallist and Olympian Hari Chand passed away on Monday morning aged 69. Hari Chand was one of the greats that India has produced in distance running.
Born on April 1, 1953, the former long distance runner hailed from Ghorewah village in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. He participated in two Olympic Games. In the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, he came eighth in the 10,000m with a time of 28:48.72, which was a national record that stood for 32 years. He then took part in the 1980 Olympic Men’s Marathon where the Indian completed the race with a timing of 2:22:08 at Lenin Stadium, Moskva.
The unsung hero of Indian athletics also bagged two gold medals in the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. In Thailand, Hari was on the top step of the podium in both 5000m and 10,000m events. For his contribution to sports in India, Hari Chand was also conferred with Arjuna Award.
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