Legendary athlete Milkha out of ICU, now wife admitted to hospital

"Milkha Singh continues to be stable on oxygen support. He is weak and we are trying to encourage him to increase his diet. He and his wife both are under observation," Mohali's Fortis hospital said in an update on Wednesday.

Singh, 88, was admitted to the hospital on Monday while his wife and former India volleyball captain, Nirmal, 82, was admitted on Wednesday.

Earlier, all of Singh's family members had tested negative for Covid-19. But Nirmal on Wednesday tested positive for the virus and was admitted to hospital.

Singh is best known for his exploits during the men's 400m race at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. He missed the podium finish by a whisker, clocking 45.73 secs to finish fourth in a photo finish.

Paramjeet Singh broke his record during a national meet in Kolkata in 1998. He clocked 45.70 secs on a synthetic track while Milkha's performance had come on a cinder track in Rome and is still considered the best ever by an Indian athlete at the global level.