"My uncle passed away on Friday (June 11) due to COVID-19," Mathur’s nephew, Anil Mathur, told the Press Trust of India.

"He was an Olympian and also a medal winner in the first Asian Games.

The Athletics Federation of India tweeted: "He is our Hall of Fame athlete.

"Rest in peace sir.

"Thank you for making #India proud."

Mathur was the first athlete from independent India to complete an Olympic marathon race, at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Though Chhota Singh was the first runner from independent India to take part in an Olympic marathon event in the 1948 London Games, he could not finish the race.

But Mathur, then 22, completed his marathon race in Helsinki, finishing 52nd in 2 hours 58min 9.2sec on a day when 13 runners failed to finish.

At the inaugural Asian Games in Delhi a year earlier, Mathur had taken bronze as Chhota Singh won the gold medal.

Mathur went on to beat his rival Chhota Singh in the 1954 National Championships marathon in Delhi - where he was based - with a personal best time of 2:48:06.6.

Mathur won two national titles as well as a silver and a bronze medal at the Championships.

Having served as a headmaster, Mathur became a special coach in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in 1977.

After retirement he lived at Majri Karala village in north-western Delhi.

He was also part of two Olympic Games Torch  Relays, four decades apart.

Mathur was honoured by the Olympic Council of Asia during the inauguration of its headquarters in Kuwait City in 2009.