Milkha Singh, ‘The Flying Sikh’

Milkha Singh, ‘The Flying Sikh’

(Biography Writing)

Milkha Singh (20 November 1929 - 18 June 2021) was the first Indian track and field athlete to win a gold medal in the international arena. He was hailed as the first star athlete of independent India.

👉 Who was Milkha Singh?

Captain Milkha Singh, also known as ‘The Flying Sikh’, was an Indian former track and field sprinter player who served in the Indian Army.

👉 Birth and early life

Milkha Singh was born on 20 November 1929 in the village of Gobindpur (now Muzaffargarh district in Pakistan), 10 km from the city of Muzaffargarh in the Punjab province of British India.

He was born into a Sikh family. He was one of 15 children, eight of whom died before the partition of India and Pakistan. During the partition of India, his parents and seven children were killed in front of him in Pakistan. At that time his father said to him, ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ (Milkha, run, run and run).

👉 Milkha Singh's Sports Life

He is the only athlete to win gold in the 400 meters at the Asian and Commonwealth Games. He also won gold medals at the 1956 and 1962 Asian Games. He represented India at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1974 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

In recognition of his sporting achievements, he has been awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honor.

Milkha Singh has been a sports icon in India since the partition of India. In 2006, journalist Rohit Brijnath named Milkha Singh "India's best athlete".

👉 Milkha Singh joined the Indian Army

Milkha Singh moved to Delhi in 1947 and spent some time with the family of his married sister.

Milkha Singh was very frustrated with his life and it is known that he once even thought of being a robber. But later one of his brothers Malkhan encouraged him to join the Indian Army.

In 1951, he joined the Indian Army for the fourth time. While in the Army, he got acquainted with one of the athletes. Milkha Singh was selected for special training in Army Athletics as he could run very well.

Milkha Singh admitted how the army had introduced him to the sport, saying "I came from a remote village, I didn't know what a race was, or what the Olympics were."

👉 How Milkha Singh's name is ‘Flying Sikh’

In 1958, Milkha Singh won the gold medal at the Tokyo Asian Games by defeating Pakistan's sprinter Abdul Khalik in the 200 meters. Earlier, Abdul Khaliq was the fastest sprinter in Asia. But after Milkha Singh defeated him, the then General Ayub Khan of Pakistan gave him the title of "The Flying Sikh".

Sources say he set a world record of 45.6 seconds in France shortly before the Rome Olympics that year.

👉 Milkha Singh in International Sports

He represented India in the 200m and 400m at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. He did not get success in the service due to his inexperience.

In 1956, Milkha Singh set records in the 200m and 400m at the Indian National Games in Cuttack, present-day Orissa, and won a gold medal in the same event at the Asian Games.

He then went on to win a gold medal in the 400 meters with a time of 48.7 seconds at the 1958 Commonwealth Games.

While Bikash Gaur won the gold medal in 2014, Milakha Singh is the only Indian man to win the singles athletics gold medal in these games.

At the 1982 Asian Games in Jakarta, Singh won gold in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

He competed in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he competed in the 400m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay. He did not take part in the 400m or 4x100m relay.

It is believed that Singh won 77 of his 80 races.

👉 The movie "Bhag Milkha Bhag"

The movie "Bhag Milkha Bhag" is based on the biography of Milkha Singh. The movie was released on July 12, 2013. It was hugely popular at the box office. The movie was eventually declared a "super hit" nationally. Milkha Singh did not take any money for this movie. He took only 1 rupee. He wished that the dividend of this movie is to be served for the help of poor athletes.

👉 Death of Milkha Singh

Milkha Singh died on 18 June 2021 at the age of 91.

Milkha Singh, ‘The Flying Sikh’ - Biography

In conclusion, Milkha Singh is a champion of the track, a winner who needs no identity. In his words, hard work, will-power and dedication helped him to become a champion. Even in the off-track, Milkha is the potential of human consciousness. And because of this, he will forever be an inspiration to every human being on earth, not just athletes.

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