The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Tuesday expressed deep shock on the demise of former Asian Games gold medallist Praveen Kumar Sobti, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest here. Sobti, who became a household name after playing Bheem in the TV series Mahabharat, breathed his last at his Ashok Vihar residence on Monday evening.

He was 74 and is survived by wife, daughter, two younger brothers and a sister. “AFI family is in deep shock on the passing away of Olympian & Asian Games medallist Shri Praveen Kumar Sobti ji,” the governing body tweeted.