Milkha Singh is a former Indian track and field sprinter also
known as The Flying Sikh #MadeIndiaProud.
Milkha Singh was the first Indian male athlete to win an individual athletics
gold medal at a Commonwealth Games. Fondly called ‘The Flying Sikh’ "a title be queathed to him by the former
President of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan "he is
highly respected for his sporting achievements. He has made his motherland proud
by winning several Gold medals in international sporting events like the
Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. He had entered the 400m race at the 1960
Olympic Games as one of the favorites and had even led the race till the 200m
mark before he lost his speed and other runners overtook him. Sadly, the
contender for Gold couldn’t even win a Bronze! Yet even in losing he set an
Indian national record for 400m. Milkha Singh’s story is one of hope and
inspiration. As a teenager he witnessed the massacre of his whole family in
front of his eyes. Orphaned and heart-broken he worked up his way through life,
seeking solace in the running. After years of struggle he became a successful
man and today he supports needy sportsmen through the Milkha Singh Charitable trust
.
Nick Name: The Flying Sikh
Nationality:Indian
Famous Indian Men
Born on:20 November 1929 AD
Famous 20th November Birthdays
Zodiac Sign:Scorpio
Scorpio Men
Born in:Govindpura, Muzaffargarh District, Pakistan
Spouse:Nirmal Kaur
Children:Jeev Milkha Singh
awards:Padma Shri (1959)
Childhood
& Early Life
He was born
into a Sikh Rathore Rajput family in Punjab, in undivided India during the
pre-independence days. He was one of 15 siblings, many of whom died during
childhood.
The
partition of Indian happened when he was still a teenager. In the violence that
ensued, he witnessed the killings of his parents and several siblings before
his very eyes. His father, as he lay dying told Milkha to run for his life.
Hindus and
Sikhs were targeted and mercilessly killed in Punjab. He escaped to Delhi in
1947. Thankfully he had a married sister living there who helped him in his
rehabilitation.
He was very
heart broken and disillusioned after losing so many members of his family and
he considered becoming a dacoit. However, one of his brothers advised him to
join the army instead.
Career
He tried to join the army thrice but was rejected. Finally he
got selected in his fourth attempt. In 1951, he was stationed at the Electrical
Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secunderabad and that’s when he was introduced
to athletics.
As a young boy living in a rural place, he had the habit of
running the 10 km distance to reach his school. His early habit of running
helped him finish sixth in a compulsory cross-country run for new recruits. He
was selected by the army for special training in athletics.
Realizing that he had potential, Milkha was determined to
become the best he could. He started training five hours daily, often running
in difficult terrains like the hills, the sands on the bank of rivers, and
against a meter gauge train. His training was sometimes so intense that he
would be sick with fatigue.
He was chosen to represent India in the 200m and 400m races
in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. At that time he was so raw that he could
not progress beyond the initial stage. However his acquaintance with the 400m
champion at the event, Charles Jenkins, gave him knowledge about proper
training methods, and thus inspired him to do better next time.
He participated in the National Games of India in Cuttack in
1958 where he set national records for the 200m and 400m. The same year he won
a gold medal in the 400m competition at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff,
making him the first male Indian to have won an individual athletics gold medal
at those Games.
He won the gold medal at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo
beating the Pakistani runner Abdul Khaliq. This prompted an invitation from
Pakistan in 1960 for another race. Initially Milkha decided not to go as the
burning memories of the partition were still fresh in his mind.
Jawaharlal Nehru convinced Milkha to get over his past and go
to Pakistan. His race against Abdul Khaliq was a much anticipated one—over
7,000 people had gathered in the stadium to watch the race. Milkha once again
beat Khaliq in a nail-biting finish.
Impressed by the Indian athlete’s performance, the then
President of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan, who had also witnessed the historic
race complimented him by saying that he did not run, but flew. Thus Milkha
gained the famous title—The Flying Sikh.
He participated in the 1960 Olympic Games in which he was one
of the favorites. He finished fourth in the 400m final which was eventually won
by the American Otis Davis. Losing at the Olympic is something that haunts the
great athlete even today.
During his later career he became the Director of Sports in
the Punjab Ministry of Education, a post from which he retired by 1998.
Awards & Achievements
In the year 1958 alone, he won many major events. He won the Gold
medals in the 200m and 400m competitions at the Asian Games and Gold at the 440
yards event in Commonwealth Games.
He was given the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian
award, in 1959 for his glorious achievements in the field of sports.
He won Gold medals in 400m and 4x400m relay in 1962 Asian
Games.
Personal
Life & Legacy
He met Nirmal kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s
volleyball team in 1955 and married her in 1962. The couple has three daughters
and one son. His son Jeev Milkha Singh is a famous golfer.
In 1999, the couple adopted the seven year old son of a
soldier who died in the Battle of Tiger Hill.
Milkha Singh has donated all his medals to the nation which
were first displayed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi before being
moved to a sports museum in Patiala.
Trivia
Actor Farhan Akhtar portrayed this famous athlete in the
Hindi movie, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.
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