When the name Milkha Singh comes to mind, some of us have a tendency to remember the narrow medal loss in the 1960 Olympics.
Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh passed away due to COVID-19 complications on June 18. One of India’s most decorated athletes, Milkha Singh had contracted the virus and had been battling for a month. The 91-year-old athlete’s wife Nirmal Kaur also passed recently after fighting COVID-19.
Here’s the inspiring journey of legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh.
Born in Pakistan –
Born in the village of Govindpura in what is now Pakistan, Milkha belonged to a Rajput Sikh family.
Early life –
Tragedy struck early in his life when he lost most of his family in the partition violence.
Lives in refugee camp –
In 1947, he shifted to Delhi and lived for a while with his sister. At one point he was also in a refugee camp.
During partition –
During partition, Milkha Singh also went to jail for a night because he was on a train without a ticket.
Served for Indian Army –
For the record, the legendary athlete who was orphaned during the Partition riot was introduced to the sport while serving the Indian Army.
1956 Olympics –
Milkha Singh did not qualify for the finals in the 200m and 400m at the 1956 Olympics but was inspired after meeting the eventual 400m champion at the Games, Charles Jenkins.
Gold –
In 1958, Milkha Singh won the 200m and 400m gold at the National Games and also set new records. He converted that performance into the international level as well with a gold at the Commonwealth Games in 440 yards.
First Indian athlete –
Milkha was the first Indian athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, a record which remained intact till 2010 until Krishna Poonia won the discus gold medal.
Represented India in three Olympics –
Milkha Singh represented India in three Olympics from 1956-1964. But sadly he never won at the Olympics, but his legacy as the best athlete we produced in the last century has no equal.
The Flying Sikh –
Milkha, who is also known as the Flying Sikh, bagged gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.