Milkha Singh (Indian Track And Field Athlete) Biography

Milkha Singh (born October 17, 1935, Lyallpur [now Faisalabad], Pakistan—died June 18, 2021, Chandigarh, India) Indian track-and-field athlete who became the first Indian male to reach the final of an Olympic athletics event when he placed fourth in the 400-metre race at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

Orphaned during the partition of India, Singh moved to India from Pakistan in 1947. He eked out a living by working in a roadside restaurant before joining the Indian army. It was in the army that Singh realized his abilities as a sprinter. After winning the national trials in the 200-metre and 400-metre sprints, he was eliminated during the preliminary heats for those events at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

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Milkha Singh Info

Nickname	The Flying Sikh
Nationality	Indian
Born	20 November 1929 Govindpura, Punjab, British India
Died	18 June 2021 (aged 91) Chandigarh, India
Occupation	Athlete
Employer(s)	Retired; formerly of the Indian Army and Government of Punjab, India
Spouse	Nirmal Saini (m. 1963; died 2021)
Awards	Padma Shri
Children	Jeev Milkha Singh
Born Country	Pakistan

At the 1958 Asian Games, Singh won both the 200-metre and 400-metre races. Later that year he captured the 400-metre gold at the Commonwealth Games, which was India’s first athletics gold in the history of the Games. He narrowly lost the bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, missing out on third place in a photo finish. Singh retained his 400-metre gold at the 1962 Asian Games and also took another gold as part of India’s 4 × 400-metre relay team. He made a final Olympic appearance at the 1964 Tokyo Games as part of the national 4 × 400 team that failed to advance past preliminary heats.

Singh was awarded the Padma Shri (one of India’s highest civilian honours) in 1959. After his retirement he served as the director of sports in Punjab. Singh’s autobiography, The Race of My Life (cowritten with his daughter Sonia Sanwalka), was published in 2013.

Milkha Singh Early life

On November 20, 1929, Milkha Singh was born into a Sikh Rajput household.[6] His birthplace was Govindpura, a village in Punjab Province, British India, 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) from Muzaffargarh city (now Muzaffargarh District, Pakistan) . Out of his fifteen siblings, eight passed away prior to India’s partition. His parents, a brother, and two sisters were all slain in the violence that broke out between the villagers and Muslims who were trying to convert them during the Partition, leaving him an orphan. He saw these murders take place.

Singh moved to Delhi, India, in 1947 to escape the unrest in Punjab, where Sikhs and Hindus were still being killed. He briefly resided with his married sister’s family and was briefly detained at Tihar jail. for taking a train without a reservation. Ishvar, his sister, sold some jewelry to pay for his release. He briefly resided in two Delhi locations: a resettlement colony in Shahdara and a refugee camp in Purana Qila.

After growing disillusioned with his life, Singh contemplated turning into a dacoit, but his brother Malkhan convinced him to try joining the Indian Army instead. On his fourth attempt, he was admitted successfully in 1951. He was introduced to athletics while he was stationed at the Electrical Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secunderabad. When he was a kid, he used to run the 10 kilometers to and from school. After placing sixth in an army-mandated cross-country race for new recruits, the army chose him for special athletic training. Singh said, “I came from a remote village, I didn’t know what running was, or the Olympics.” He recognized that the army was the reason he became interested in sports.

Milkha Singh International Career

In the 200 and 400 meter races at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Singh competed on behalf of India. He failed not advance past the heat stages due to his inexperience, but he was motivated to aim further and gained knowledge about training techniques after meeting Charles Jenkins, the Games’ eventual 400-meter champion.

Singh won gold medals in the 200- and 400-meter races in the Asian Games in 1958 and broke records in the same events at the National Games of India in Cuttack. Then, in 1958, he won a gold medal in the 400-meter (440-yard) event at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, clocking in at 46.6 seconds. With this last accomplishment, he became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since independence.[9] Milkha was the sole male Indian to win a gold medal in individual athletics at the Games before Vikas Gowda did it in 2014.

Jawaharlal Nehru convinced Singh to put aside his memories of the Partition period so he could compete effectively against Abdul Khaliq in 1960 in Pakistan. Following the race, then-General Ayub Khan made a remark that earned Singh the moniker “The Flying Sikh.” He is credited by some with setting a world record of 45.8 seconds in France just before the Olympics in Rome that same year, although Lou Jones, who ran 45.2 seconds in Los Angeles in 1956, is listed as the record holder in the official Games report.

He competed in the 400-meter final race of those Olympics and finished fourth after a close finish. With the exception of Otis Davis, Singh had defeated every top opponent, and a medal had been expected due to his excellent form. But as he was dominating the race at 250 meters, he erred by slowing down and turning to face his rivals, thinking that he could not maintain his pace.

Singh considers these mistakes to be his “worst memory” and the reason he lost the chance to win a medal. Malcolm Spence, Carl Kaufmann, and Davis all overtook him, leading to a photofinish. Spence and Singh beat the pre-Games Olympic mark of 45.9 seconds, set in 1952 by George Rhoden and Herb McKenley, with times of 45.5 and 45.6 seconds, respectively. Davis and Kaufman broke the world record with their times of 44.9 seconds. In 2006, The Age reported that “Milkha Singh is the only Indian who has achieved a track record at the Olympics. Regretfully, he was the fourth person to accomplish so in the same race”, although according to the official Olympic report, Davis had already tied and then surpassed the Rhoden/McKenley Olympic record in the quarterfinals and semifinals, clocking in at 45.5 seconds.

Singh won gold in the 400 meters and the 4 x 400 meters relay at the 1962 Asian Games, which were hosted in Jakarta. He competed in the 400 meters, the 4 x 100 meters relay, and the 4 x 400 meters relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He did not compete in the 400 meters or the 4 x 100 meters relay. Milkha Singh, Makhan Singh, Amrit Pal, and Ajmer Singh, the Indian team, were eliminated after placing fourth in the 4 x 400 meters heat rounds.

Singh’s time in the 400-meter final at the 1960 Olympics, which was held on a cinder track, set a national mark that lasted until 1998 when Paramjit Singh beat it in 45.70 seconds on a synthetic track using fully automatic timing. Singh’s Olympic time of 45.6 seconds had been recorded by hand, but his record at those Games was recorded by an electronic system as 45.73.

Milkha Singh Later life

Singh’s achievements at the 1958 Asian Games earned him a promotion from sepoy to junior commissioned officer. After that, he was appointed Director of Sports at the Punjab Ministry of Education, a position from which he retired in 1998.

After his achievement in 1958, Singh was granted the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India. He declined the Indian government’s 2001 offer of the Arjuna Award, claiming that it was meant to honor young athletes rather than athletes like him. Additionally, he believed that those who had no discernible participation in athletics were being unfairly awarded the Award. “I have been clubbed with sportspeople who are nowhere near the level that,” he declared.

During a 2014 college experience in Goa, he said, “Awards these days are given out like ‘prasad’ in a shrine. Why should someone receive an honor when they haven’t met the requirements for it? Once I got the Padma Shri, I turned down the Arjuna that was presented to me. It was similar to receiving an offer to enroll in secondary school after earning a master’s degree.

Singh has donated every medal he has won to the country. A pair of running shoes that he wore in Rome are also on exhibit at the Patiala sports museum, which originally housed them at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. He gave the Adidas shoes he had worn in the 1960 400-meter final to actor Rahul Bose in 2012 so they could be auctioned off for charity.

On May 24, 2021, Singh was taken to the critical care unit at Fortis Hospital in Mohali due to pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. He was listed as stable for a while, but on June 18, 2021, at 11:30 p.m. in Chandigarh, he passed away. Nirmal Saini, his wife, had passed away a few days prior. on June 13, 2021, as a result of COVID-19. With a picture of his wife in his hands, Singh was placed on his cremation pyre.

Media And Popular Culture

Singh co-wrote his autobiography, The Race of My Life, with his daughter Sonia Sanwalka. 2013 saw its publication. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a 2013 biographical film on Singh’s life, was inspired by the novel. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is the director of the movie, which has Farhan Akhtar in the major role. The female leads are played by Sonam Kapoor, Meesha Shafi, and Divya Dutta. The movie received great reviews in India and was recognized with several accolades, including five honors at the 2014 International Indian Film Academy honors and the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Offering Wholesome Entertainment at the National Film Awards .38 The movie brought in over ₹100 crores. Singh included a condition in the movie rights he sold, saying that a portion of the proceeds would go to him.

The Milkha Singh Charitable Trust would get it. The Trust was established in 2003 to support athletes who are underprivileged or in need. Singh’s wax statue, which was made by London-based Madame Tussauds sculptors, was unveiled in Chandigarh in September 2017. Singh is shown in the image sprinting during his winning run in the Commonwealth Games in 1958. The statue is located in New Delhi, India’s Madame Tussauds museum. Neeraj Chopra dedicated his victory—and India’s first track and field gold medal—to Singh after winning the 2020 Olympics.

Milkha Singh Personal life

Singh resided in Chandigarh as of 2012. In Ceylon in 1955, he met Nirmal Saini, a former captain of the Indian women’s volleyball team. They were married in 1962, and their children include golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters. The seven-year-old son of Havildar Bikram Singh, who lost his life in the Battle of Tiger Hill, was adopted by them in 1999.

Milkha Singh Marriage

Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur had first met in 1955 in Colombo, Srilanka when the two had attended a tournament there. While Nirmal Kaur was the captain of the women’s volleyball team, Milkha Singh was a part of the athletics team. In Colombo, an Indian businessman had called the volleyball team and athletics team for a meeting and that’s when Milkha Singh had met Nirmal Kaur for the first time. For Milkha, it was love at first sight. The two had interacted with each other for long hours.

It is said that as there was no paper available at the place, Milkha Singh had written his hotel’s number on Nirmal Kaur’s hand. The two had later again met in 1958, however, their love story had begun in 1960, when the two had met at Delhi’s National Stadium. By that time, Milkha Singh had made a name for himself and he had started spending his coffee breaks with Nirmal Kaur.

The reports about Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur’s affair had started hitting the headlines, however, by that time, the two had decided to spend the rest of their lives together. Well, Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur too had faced many difficulties in making their parents accept their relationship and that was when the Chief Minister of Punjabi at that time, Mr Pratap Singh had come forward to help them and talk with their respective families. Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur had tied the knot in 1962, and despite an age gap of 9 years, the duo had spent their lives together for 59 long years.

Milkha Singh had introduced his wife, Nirmal Kaur to his mentor, Dr Arthur W Howard at the Chandigarh Golf Club in 2007 in the most beautiful manner. He had said:

Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur have three daughters, Aleeza Grover, Sonia Sanwalkar and Mona Milkha Singh, and a son, Jeev Milkha Singh. While Sonia Sanwalkar has many best-seller books to her name, Mona Milkha Singh is a doctor in New York and has been attending emergency patients of Coronavirus. On the other hand, Jeev Milkha Singh is an Indian professional golfer, who was the first player from India to join the European tour in 1988. Just like his parents, he has won many medals and was awarded Padma Shri in 2007.

Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur had also adopted a seven-year-old boy, Havildar Bikram Singh, who had died in the Battle of Tiger Hill in 1999. Milkha Singh had always credited his wife, Nirmal Kaur for being his biggest strength and taking care of their kids. In a conversation with The Week, Milkha Singh was quoted as saying:

After their wedding, Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur had relocated to Chandigarh from Delhi in 1963 and had worked in the Punjab sports department till they had retired in the 1980s. In a conversation with The Indian Express in 2019, Nirmal had shared that Milkha had always opened the door of the car for her even after so many years of their wedding. Talking about the best gift Milkha Singh had given to Nirmal Kaur, she had said:

Well, who would have thought that there will be a vicious virus that will take away people’s life! COVID-19 has destroyed the lives of many people. Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur’s life too got affected by the virus, however, it could not affect their love for each other. Their love was so strong that within five days, the two decided to meet each other in the other world. On June 13, 2021, Nirmal Milkha Singh had breathed her last after suffering from COVID-19 and battling with it for more than 19 days. Five days after Nirmal Kaur’s death, Milkha Singh breathed his last at the age of 91 on June 18, 2021, because of COVID-19 related complications in a Chandigarh hospital.

Milkha Singh Awards & Achievements

In the year 1958 alone, Milkha Singh 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.

Milkha Singh Facts

As a young boy Milkha Singh used to walk a distance of 10 km barefoot from his home to a village school in Pakistan.
Several members of his family including his father were killed during the partition of India. His father’s last words as he lay dying were “Bhaag, Milkha” (run for your life Milkha).
Milkha Singh was eliminated in the first round of 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia!
While in the army, he often trained himself by racing against the meter gauge trains.
He sometimes trained himself so hard that he used to spit blood, urinate blood and even fall unconscious during his practice sessions.
At the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games, Milkha Singh became the first individual to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games from Independent India.
His success in the 1958 Asian Games led to his promotion from a Sepoy to Junior Commissioned Officer in the army.
Milkha Singh became a source of wonder at the 1960 Rome Olympics as the Romans had never before seen any athlete sporting such a unique headgear and long beard!
He accepted only Re. 1 from film producer Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra to allow him to make his biopic ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.
He refused to accept the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2001 saying it came “40 years too late”.

Milkha Singh Dies from Covid

One of India’s greatest athletes, Milkha Singh, has died from Covid-related complications, aged 91. Popularly known as “the Flying Sikh”, Singh won four Asian gold medals and finished fourth in the 400m final at the 1960 Rome Olympics. In 2013, his story was turned into the Bollywood film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag – Run Milkha Run.

Singh’s wife, Nirmal Kaur, a former volleyball captain, also died with Covid earlier this week, aged 85. Singh had contracted Covid-19 last month and died of complications from the disease in a hospital in the northern city of Chandigarh late on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes to the athlete, who has been described as independent India’s first sporting superstar.