1972 Olympic hockey bronze medallist Manuel Frederick passes away
. Bengaluru, Oct 31: Former Indian hockey goalkeeper Manuel Frederick, a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 1972 Munich Olympics,…
Image: Deshabhimani
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Bengaluru, Oct 31: Former Indian hockey goalkeeper Manuel Frederick, a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, passed away in Bengaluru on Friday morning after a prolonged illness. He was 78 and is survived by two daughters.
Frederick, who had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer for the past 10 months, also suffered from depression following the death of his wife, Sheetala, last year.
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His daughter, Freshna, confirmed the news, saying that despite their efforts, his health deteriorated after developing jaundice, which further damaged his liver.
Born on October 20, 1947, in Barnasseri, Kannur, Frederick holds the distinction of being Kerala’s first-ever Olympic medallist. After him, PR Sreejesh became the only other athlete from the state to win Olympic medals, earning bronze in both the Tokyo and Paris Games.
Frederick had long settled in Bengaluru, where he continued to be associated with hockey and sports promotion. In recognition of his contribution to Indian hockey, he was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games in 2019.
