Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, on Sunday, condoled the sad demise of Ishar Singh Deol (91), an international athlete conferred with Dhyan Chand National Sports Award. The mortal remains of Deol, who passed away late Friday evening, were consigned to fire at Jalandhar on Sunday.
Deol won many medals for the country and the state since 1951 and awarded the Dhyan Chand National Award in 2009 for his lifelong contribution towards sports. Deol, born on September 7, 1929 in village Ranguwal of district Ludhiana, had studied 10th from High School, Montgomery in Pakistan and graduated from Khalsa College, Amritsar. After obtaining Athletics Coaching Certificate from NIS Patiala, he joined the Pepsu Police as an ASI for some time and then moved to State Sports College, Jalandhar, from where he retired as Principal (Executive) in 1987.
Deol competed in the first three Asian Games and won a bronze medal in the second Asian Games held in Manila, Philippines in 1954. During the International Athletic Meet-1957 in Montgomery, Pakistan, he set a new Asian record in Shot-put with 46 feet 11.2 inches throw. Deol continually participated in shot-put and discus throw events from 1951 to 1960. He won gold medals in the All India Police Meet for five consecutive years from 1952 to 1957 besides clinching gold at the first Asian Veteran Athletic Meet in Singapore in 1982. Apart from this, he performed duties on various prestigious positions in sports tournaments held at home and abroad.
