Olympic gold medallist and former India [ Images ] hockey coach Balkishan Singh died in Patiala on Friday.

The 79-year-old was part of the national team in more than one Olympics [ Images ], including the gold medal winning team of 1956.

After ending his playing career, he took to coaching and under him India won the last of their eight Olympic gold medals in Moscow [ Images ] in 1980. He returned to the post in the 1992 Barcelona [ Images ] Olympics.