Former Indian Hockey Goalie And Olympic Medallist Manuel Frederick Passes Away

Last Updated:October 31, 2025, 13:40 IST

The custodian, who helped the Indian side clinch bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics, had been battling prostate cancer for the last 10 months and breathed his at 78 yeas of age.

Manuel Frederick. (X)

Former Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper and member of the 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning team, Manuel Frederick, passed away in Bengaluru on Friday morning.

Frederick was 78 and is survived by two daughters. He had been battling prostate cancer for the last 10 months.

Born on October 20, 1947, in Barnasseri, Kannur, Frederick was the first athlete from Kerala to win an Olympic medal. The only other sportsperson from the state to win Olympic medals is PR Sreejesh, who secured bronze in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

Frederick, who had relocated to Bengaluru years ago, was also suffering from depression after his wife, Sheetala, passed away a year ago.

“Dad passed away this morning. He was suffering from cancer for the last 10 months and was also depressed after our mother expired a year ago," his daughter Freshna said.

“We tried our best but he developed jaundice in the end, and his liver was affected, which worsened his condition."

Frederick had received the Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games in 2019.

(With Inputs Form Agencies)

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