Milkha Singh may be a former Indian track and field sprinter. The “Flying Sikh” was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan on 20 November 1929, consistent with records in Pakistan; whereas other reports say he was born on 8 October 1935. he’s the sole male athlete of India to win individual athletics Gold within the Commonwealth Games. Milkha Singh was also awarded the Padma Shri Award by the President of India in 1959 for his achievements in sports. Singh is best remembered for his fourth-place finish within the 400 metres final at Olympic Games 1960.
Personal Life
Milkha Singh is married to Nirmal Kaur. She was the previous captain of the Indian Women Volleyball team. they need a son, Jeev Milkha Singh, who has gone on to become a top-ranking international golf pro .
Career
Milkha Singh tried to enroll within the army, but was rejected thrice. He was finally ready to take part the army’s electrical engineering branch in 1952. Once within the soldiers , his coach Havildar Gurdev Singh inspired him. He worked very hard on his practice. He came into the limelight during the National Games at Patiala in 1956. In 1958, he broke the 200 metres and 400 meters records within the National Games at Cuttack.
His greatest and doubtless the saddest moment came when he finished fourth during a finish at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He also represented the country within the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He held the Olympic 400 m record within the 1960 Rome Olympics, besides winning the trophy within the 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games in 1958 (in the 200m & 400 m categories) and therefore the Asian Games in 1962 (in 200 m category).
It was a race in Pakistan in 1962, where he defeated Abdul Khaliq, the winner of the 100 metres gold at the Tokyo Asian Games, where he was christened the ‘The Flying Sikh” by the Pakistani President Ayub Khan.
Later Life
In recognition of Singh’s successes within the 1958 Asian Games, he was promoted from the rank of sepoy to junior military officer . He eventually became the Director of Sports within the Punjab Ministry of Education. He retired in 1998. Singh’s medals were donated to the country. Initially all of these were displayed at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi , but later they were shifted to a sports museum in Patiala. At the sports museum, his pair of shoes are displayed, which he wore in Rome. In 2012, Rahul Bose organised a charity auction where Singh donated the pair of Adidas shoes that he wore within the 1960 400m final
In Recent Media
Milkha Singh’s biography was portrayed during a biographical film, “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, which was directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and starred Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor. When asked Milkha Singh why he allowed a movie to be made on his life, he said that the film should be an idea to the kids and he himself would watch the film and see his life’s events are depicted correctly or not. He wanted youngsters to observe this movie and join athletics, making India proud by winning medals at the planet level.
Records, Awards and Honours
- 1st 1958 Asian Games in 200 m
- 1st 1958 Asian Games in 400 m
- 1st 1958 Commonwealth Games in a quarter mile
- Padma Shri in 1959
- 1st 1962 Asian Games in 400 m
- 1st 1962 Asian Games in 4 x 400 m relay
- 2nd 1964 Calcutta National Games in 400 m
Iconic sprinter Milkha Singh was cremated with full state honours on Saturday in Chandigarh, marking the top of an era during which his pioneering accomplishments on the track galvanised a newly-independent India.
Milkha, who was 91, was bid a tearful adieu within the presence of his relations and a number of other dignitaries, including sports minister Kiren Rijiju. ‘The Flying Sikh’, as he was fondly called, died on Friday night thanks to COVID-19 related complications.
