<span style="color: #222222;">Asian Games gold medallist athlete Hakam Singh today passed away at a private hospital in Sangrur, Punjab. He had been ailing for some time and was undergoing treatment for liver and kidney ailments. He was 64.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Singh won gold in 20 km race walk event during the 1978 Asiad at Bangkok. The Dhyan Chand awardee had also served as Havaldar in the 6 Sikh regiment.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the athlete, while Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh helped him with Rs 5 lakh.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi expressed profound grief over the demise of Singh.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He termed the passing away of Singh as end of an era and an irreparable loss to the sports fraternity.</span>