Free India’s first Mr Universe, Manohar Aich, passed away on Sunday at the age of 102.
Pocket Hercules people used to call him in love.
He was the first body builder from Free India to win the Mr Universe title in 1952. He also won three gold medals in bodybuilding at the 1951 (New Delhi), 1954 (Manila) and 1958 (Tokyo) Asian Games.
Born in Comilla district The then East Bengal, now in Bangladesh, Aich joined the Royal Indian Air Force in 1942 India was still a under British rule — and took up bodybuilding. Even at his ever green old age he continued to follow his daily exercising routine till it went bad in health wise.
In an interview to a fitness portal a few years back, Manohar said,
“If you exercise daily you won’t fall ill. When you are young, you train to build but when you are old you train to maintain.”
Aich breathed his last at his Dum Dum home in northeastern Kolkata at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Saddened at the passing of world famous body-builder Manohar Aich. He made us proud. Rest in Peace
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 5, 2016
B-Town mourns demise of India's first Mr. Universe, Manohar Aich https://t.co/QX969I5oZv pic.twitter.com/StMryKRMZ2
— DNA (@dna) June 6, 2016
Manohar Aich, the 102-year-old Pocket Hercules from Kolkata, died yesterday. https://t.co/ZMdhcBR3is pic.twitter.com/xrehGtA8OW
— India Today (@IndiaToday) June 6, 2016