In PICS: Inspirational Journey Of The Legendary Athlete ‘The Flying Sikh’

Milkha Singh, a legendary athlete who had tested positive for COVID-19, died on June 19. After his oxygen level began to drop, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Fortis Hospital in Mohali on May 24. After testing positive for the deadly virus, the 91-year-old was kept in home isolation at his Chandigarh home.

According to reports, the late athlete acquired the illness from a member of his staff at his home. His entire family had been tested, but only Milkha's result had come back positive. However, on June 13, his loving wife Nirmal Saini died of the ailment as well.

Milkha, called The Flying Sikh, was regarded as one of India's best sportsmen, and his untimely death was mourned by not only the sports community but millions of his followers across the country. He has left a lasting impression on the world. Despite the fact that he is no longer physically present, he will continue to inspire millions of aspiring sprinters.

As a tribute to the legendary sportsman, let's take a look at his journey and career through pics.

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 On November 20, 1929, Milkha Singh was born in Gobindpura, which is today part of Pakistan. Milkha was first introduced to sprinting while serving in the Indian army. Soon after, he represented India in the 200m and 400m competitions of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

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Milkha Singh represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics.

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Hard to believe but he had slowed down in a colossal error of judgement as he wanted to preserve himself for the final 150m.

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Milkha Singh is a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion. Milkha Singh competed in the 200 metres and 400 metres track races for India at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo. Milkha Singh won gold and set a new record in the events. He became the first Indian athlete to win gold at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, setting a record that endured for more than 50 years.

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Milkha Singh (Gold medal winner of 1958 Asian Games in the 200 m and 400 m) receives Padma Shri award from President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad, at President House in New Delhi on April 08, 1959.

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Milkha Singh's greatest performance remains the fourth-place finish in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics. In the 1960 Rome Olympics, Milkha lost the race of his life, placing fourth in the 400m final in 45.6 seconds, 0.1 second short of a bronze medal. Milkha Singh was plagued by the miss, one of only two events in his life that he termed as "unforgettable," the other being his parents' killing in Pakistan.

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 In 1960, Milkha Singh defeated Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq and was given the name ‘The Flying Sikh’ by then General Ayub Khan. Milkha completed the race in just 45.8 seconds.

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Milkha Singh paying his respects at a gurudwara.

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Margaret Alva, Minister of Sports, receives the Sport Aid India Torch from Milkha Singh and PT Usha.

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The three legendary sportspersons.Milkha Singh with Dhyan Chand (R) and Dara Singh (L). On the urging of then-chief minister Pratap Singh Kairon, he had taken up the position of deputy director of sports in the Punjab government in 1961. He resigned from the Indian Army and relocated to Chandigarh from Delhi.

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In 1963, he married Nirmal Kaur, the Indian volleyball team's captain. They met for the first time in 1956 in Sri Lanka, when they were both on official duties.

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Milkha retired from athletics after the 1964 Olympics, two years after winning the gold in 400m and 4x400m relay events at the Asian Games held at Jakarta.

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Milkha Singh with his son .



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Milkha Singh with actor Farhan Akhar during a promotional event of his biographical film "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" in 2013.

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Former India sprinter Milkha Singh with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of Marathon 2014 in Surat.

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Former India athlete Milkha Singh with his wax figure which is displayed at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New Delhi in 2017.

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The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag team with star athlete Milkha Singh (R) at the IIFA awards in Bay, Florida.