Milkha Singh

There are very few people in India who have served the game of Athlete with utmost capabilities. Milkha Singh is one of them. He has not only served the country but has also given many memories to cherish. Also, he has won a gold medal in the Commonwealth game for India, thus making him the first one to do for the nation. He has made a prestige for himself all across the world as a result of his passion and commitment. The Indian government rewarded him with the Padma Shri award and he was also appreciated by India's Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru for his efforts.

Wish to dicover more aspects of his life?

Read on to get more information about one of the great personalities of India.

Early Life

Milkha Singh, the world's finest runner, has had a difficult journey. According to Pakistani authorities, Milkha Singh, popularly known as the "Flying Sikh," was born on November 20, 1929, in Faisalabad, Pakistan, but other reports suggest he was born on October 8, 1935. He came from a Sikh household. When India and Pakistan were separated, Milkha Singh's parents and siblings were killed. The clashes cost the lives of many individuals. There were other members of Milkha Singh's family there.

Milkha Singh was both extremely upset and terrified by the incident. He then took a train from Pakistan to Delhi and arrived in Delhi. He couldn't find a place to reside, so he sought the assistance of a refugee camp and resided there. Following that, Milkha Singh moved into his sister's home in Delhiand began living with her. Shahdara Basti was where his sister lived. After that, Milkha Singh desired to have a better life, so he began looking for a job in the Army in Delhi.

Marriage And Children

In 1962, Milkha Singh married Nirmal Kaur ji. She was the captain of the Indian Women's Volleyball team previously. They have three children: Jeev Milkha Singh, a boy, and Sonia Sanwalka and Mona Milkha Singh, both girls. Jeev Milkha Singh, his son, is a well-known top-ranked worldwide professional golfer.

Career

Milkha Singh was recruited into the Indian Army due to his hard work. Milkha Singh began training for the marathon while in the Army. As a result, he received special training in the Army. Milkha Singh did not look back after that and achieved other world records. However, he lacked competence at the international level.

Still, he represented India at the Melbourne Olympic Games. During this time, he received an offer from Pakistan to participate in the game, but Milkha Singh declined since he did not want to relive his bad childhood memories. That's why he said no. However, at the request of the Indian government, he consented to go to the games and compete. In Pakistan, he thrashed his opponents. After that, he was nicknamed "Flying Sikh."

Milkha had led India in the 200 meters and 400 meters races at the 1956 Olympic Games. However, he was unsuccessful in this attempt. After that, he met Charles J King, who taught him some new jogging tactics, and his performance improved significantly.

Milkha Singh went on to win gold medals in the 200 and 400 meters at the National Games in 1958. Milkha Singh won a gold medal in the 400 meters sprint at the Commonwealth Games in 1958.

Milkha Singh participated in the 400-meter sprint at the Olympic Games in Rome. He was expected to compete in the Olympics again this year and win a medal. Even though Milkha Singh was in great form, he could not win a medal in the Rio Olympics. He came in the fourth position. Milkha Singh went on to win the Asian Games gold medal in the 400-meter dash at Jakarta in 1962.

Achievements

Honour

• In 1959, Milkha Singh received the Padma Shri, India's highest civilian accolade.
• Mikha Singh is known as "The Flying Sikh," a name given to him by Pakistan's former President, General Ayub Khan, in recognition of his excellence in sports.

Controversies

1. When Paramjit Singh broke Milkha Singh's 38-year-old 400m record in 1998, Milkha Singh refused acknowledging it and said, "I don't acknowledge this record." The initial point of disagreement for Milkha was Paramjeet's 45.70 timing. Milkha was officially hand-timed as 45.6 at the Rome Olympics. However, an unapproved electronic timer at the Games recorded him at 45.73. Digital clocks were implemented at all international tournaments years later. To calculate hand timings to digital measurement, it was agreed that 0.14 seconds would be added to all hand timings. As a result, Milkha's hand-written time of 45.6 was changed to a digital time of 45.74.
   So, Milkha said, "My record of 45.6 remains. If a time is registered it is there You cannot change it after some years." Milkha Singh refused to acknowledge that record until the very end.
2. He had a heated argument with Salim Khan in 2016. The issue originated from Salman Khan's designation as the Indian contingent's Goodwill Ambassador for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
3. Milkha Singh declined an offer of the Arjuna award in 2001. He declined the offer, remarking, "It's like being granted an SSC certification after obtaining a master's degree."

Some Unknown Facts About Milkha Singh

1. Milkha Singh couldn't tell you when he was born as he didn't know. However, in his autobiography, "Flying Sikh Milkha Singh," he claims that he was roughly 14-15 years old when India was partitioned.
2. In pursuit of a job, he frequently visited the nearby Army camps, and at times, he used to polish shoes to get food.
3. Floods and a lack of work chances drove Milkha and her sister-in-law to relocate to Delhi. He sat on the train's roof on his way to Delhi.
4. Milkha Singh also worked in the rubber industry for a very low monthly wage of 15 INR.
5. Milkha began jogging 400 meters on his own, and blood would occasionally flow from his nostrils as he did so.
6. Milkha made history in 1958 when he became India's first gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. He credits his success to the late Dr. Arthur W. Howard, his American coach.
7. In 1958, he received the Padma Shri award.
8. He came in fourth place at the 1960 Rome Olympics, a setback that still haunts him because he lost the bronze medal by only 0.1 seconds. "I was the quickest up to 250 meters," Milkha writes in his book, "and then god knows what happened, and I slowed down a bit." Three racers were ahead of me as we reached the 300m mark. All I could do after that was finish third in the tie. Due to the close of the competition, it was a photo finish [in which the winner is determined after viewing the race again]. I had lost everything by the time the final announcement was made."
9. Milkha's long hair and beard made him immensely popular during the 1960 Rome Olympics. After seeing his distinctive headgear, the Romans assumed he was a saint and wondered how a saint could run so fast.
10. Milkha and his daughter Sonia Sanwalka published their autobiography, "The Race of My Life," in 2013.
11. Milkha was a national hero, winning 77 of the 80 races he ran.

Life After Getting Retired

Milkha is one of those people who has proven his viewpoint. He established a charitable trust in 2003 after retiring from the Indian Army to assist players who have the talent to win but lack the basic resources, supervision and facilities. He gave up all of his medals and prizes, believing that they belonged to the country.

Death

Milkha Singh, an Indian sprint star, died on June 18, 2021, after a month-long fight with COVID-19. He even lost his wife , Nirmal Kaur the former national volleyball captain due to COVID. Milkha Singh who died at 91 is survived by golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters.