Sobti won gold at the Bangkok 1966 and Bangkok 1970 discus throw competitions at the Asian Games as well as silver at Tehran 1974, where he was India's flagbearer.

He also won bronze in 1966 in the hammer throw and silver at the Kingston 1966 Commonwealth Games.

"He had a chronic chest infection problem," a family member told the Press Trust of India.

"At night, when he started feeling uneasy, we called the doctor at home.

"He passed away between 10-10.30 pm following a cardiac arrest."

Sobti competed at the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games.

Following his sporting career, Sobti turned to acting.

His first film role was in 1981, in Raksha where he played a henchman named Gorilla.

He then earned national acclaim in the role of Bheem in the television series Mahabharat.

Sobti's next venture was into politics.

After joining the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013, he ran in the Delhi assembly elections from the Wazirpur constituency but lost.

The following year he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Praveen was a big star of his times," said Indian triple jumper Mohinder Singh Gill.

"Being the Asian Games champion, he was always eager to win more and practiced a lot.

"In 1969, when he was part of the Commonwealth team and visited Los Angeles, I got him to meet the officials at California State University and he also got the scholarship.

"He worked in Border Security Force at that time and university officials told him that they would get him a job too.

"But he refused saying he has promised a girl in India to return and then marry her."