Taking care of boxing legend: Army

The Army is taking full care of ailing boxing legend Kaur Singh, who had fought with the likes of the legendary Mohammad Ali, a defence spokesman said here on Monday.

Kaur Singh, a retired subedar of the Army who lives in Khanal Khurd village in Sunam tehsil of Punjab's Sangrur district, has been ailing for some time with a cardiac condition. Recent media reports indicated that he was struggling with mounting medical bills and was in debt due to this.

Reacting to the report, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh immediately sanctioned Rs 2 lakh last week to pay for pending medical bills of the former Asian Games champion.

"The Army's outreach team met Kaur Singh in his village. Kaur Singh is an Army pensioner receiving a monthly pension Rs 33,000 and is entitled to unlimited medical support through the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). The Army is the only organisation that has taken care of him and his family. All costs of his treatment are being paid by the ECHS of the Army," the defence spokesman said.

"An amount of Rs 5.27 lakh had been paid recently to Grecian Super Specialty Hospital where he was undergoing treatment. The monthly cost of Rs 8,000 incurred on medicines is also being paid by the Army," the spokesman added.

Kaur Singh, who won gold in the men's heavyweight category during the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, has also received the Arjuna Award (1982) and Padma Shri (1983).

The Olympian had featured in an exhibition bout against the legendary Mohammed Ali in 1980.

After representing India at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Kaur Singh had settled down in his village as a farmer.

--IANS

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