Sports fraternity celebrated the legacy of Indian playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam who died on Friday in Chennai.

The 74-year old singer, whose condition became extremely critical on Thursday, breathed his last at 1.04 pm, a statement from MGM Healthcare, where he was admitted on August 5 after testing positive for Covid-19, said.

SP Balasubrahmanyam (1946-2020): His heavenly voice will echo through the ages

A six-time national award winner, Balasubrahmanyam, who had sung over 40,000 songs, was also honoured with the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

Chess legend Viswanathan Anand led the tributes for Balasubrahmanyam from the sports community.

“Really sad to hear about the passing away of such a great yet simple person. He was my first sponsor! He sponsored our team Chennai Colts in the national team championship in 1983. One of the nicest persons I have met. His music gave us such joy,” Anand wrote on Twitter.

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