Olympian Kaur Singh, only Indian boxer to fight Muhammad Ali, dies at 74

Heavyweight boxer Kaur Singh, who once took on the legendary Muhammad Ali in an exhibition, died at 74. As per media outlets, the veteran boxer reportedly breathed his last on Thursday (27 April) in Haryana’s Kurukshetra. He is said to have been undergoing treatment for quite some time after suffering from multiple health issues. He is survived by two sons and a daughter. Speaking about his prosperous career, Singh has achieved a lot of laurels in boxing and had racked up six gold medals in international competitions, including the Asian Games in 1982. In the meantime, tributes have been pouring in for the late boxer. While former India coach GS Sandhu paid his tributes stating that “Singh was unmatched in terms of fitness, endurance and power. He dominated the bouts due to his fitness”, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) also shared condolences. https://twitter.com/BFI_official/status/1651554199396839424 https://twitter.com/adgpi/status/1651858427025715200 Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema who paid his tributes at the cremation site also announced that a memorial will be built in the memory of the late boxer. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also took to Twitter and paid his tributes. “Olympian boxer Padma Shri Kaur Singh ji… who dominated India in the Asia Games and won the gold medal from the village of Khanal Khurd in Sangrur… Kaur Singh left us today… Prayers to God for the bereaved soul. Heartfelt condolences to the family in this difficult time,” he wrote. https://twitter.com/BhagwantMann/status/1651437810384248832 About Kaur Singh Hailing from Sangrur, Punjab, Kaur began by joining the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army in the early 1970s following which he made his debut at the senior national boxing championship. While Singh won the Asian boxing championships in 1980, he later secured gold at the Asian Games in 1982. It was during this time on 27 January, 1980 when the boxer also took on Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match, to become the only Indian boxer to face the legend. After competing in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Singh finally took retirement in the same year. Besides holding a successful boxing career, Kaur Singh won the prestigious Padma Shri and Arjuna Awards. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .