BANGALORE: The 1951 Asian Games silver medalist at New Delhi, Marian Gabriel of Bangalore passed away at the CSI Hospital here on Monday, after battling a prolonged respiratory syndrome.
Gabriel, who also won the bronze in the 1954 Manila Asian Games, was 84 and is survived by his wife and three daughters and a son.
Gabriel had respiratory problems and was hospitalised. His family struggled to meet hs medical expenses and after his plight was highlighted in the media, the Karnatak Olympic Association and the Dept Of Youth Services Sports came forward to provide financial help. He was on a ventilator as both his lungs had collapsed. But Gabriel breathed his last despite the doctors' best efforts to save him.
Gabriel always claimed that he was cheated of a silver at Manila as he had finished ahead of Genaro Cabrera of Philippines. "Even in this condition, he talked about being deprived of the silver," his son Lewis had said.
"There were no TV replays then. He was a fast runner but the government has done nothing for him," Lewis said.