Former India basketball captain Arjuna Awardee Paramjit Singh passes away aged 72

Paramjit led Indian Basketball team in 1980 Moscow Olympics

Paramjit Singh, who led the Indian basketball team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and was honoured with the Arjuna award in 1978, passed away on Thursday night at his home in Ajmer, Rajasthan. He was 72 and had been suffering from a prolonged illness.

Singh, popularly known as Pammi, was one of the finest players of his generation and a towering figure in Indian basketball. He played as a centre and was known for his agility, rebounding and scoring skills.

He represented India in several international tournaments, including the Asian Basketball Championships in Bangkok (1975) and Kuala Lumpur (1977), where he was the top scorer for the country. He also participated in the Asian Games in Tehran (1974) and Bangkok (1978).

Singh joined Western Railway, where he worked as a senior divisional commercial manager for more than 30 years.

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He also played for Western Railway and Indian Railways and won many national and all-India titles. He was a government nominee on the selection committee for choosing Indian teams for eight years.

Singh was conferred with the Arjuna award, the highest sporting honour of India at the time, in 1978 for his outstanding performance and contribution to basketball.

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