India lost one of its most beloved athletes as legendary sprinter Milkha Singh took his last breath on Friday night at PGIMER Chandigarh after struggling to recover from the contagious Covid-19 infection. He died after five days of his wife’s (Nirmal Kaur) demise at the age of 91 due to Covid-19 complications.
The’ flying Sikh’ dominated the track and field for years and brought many laurels to the nation. Born on November 20, 1929, Milkha Singh’s life was a roller coaster and here’s a glimpse of the ordeals the sprinter went through.
Early life in Gobindpura-Now Pakistan
Milkha Singh’s life began in an undivided India. He was born in Gobindpura in Muzaffargarh district, now in Pakistan. Milkha was the second youngest child of his parents. He lost half of his 14 siblings to poor health and spend his childhood in poverty with the family living in a single room.
“Seven of my 14 siblings had died as the family did not have money to afford medical care. It was only when my elder brother Makhan Singh got enrolled in then Indian British Army, my family sent me to higher secondary school.
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India-Pakistan Partition
India got independence in 1947, however, the India-Pakistan partition was one of the bloodied upheavals in human history. Hindus and Sikhs had to flee Pakistan, a country that would be Muslim- controlled and Muslims in India fled in opposite direction.
Partition made neighbors slaughter neighbors and childhood friends to became sworn enemies.
Two days after the partition, Milka Singh's village faced riots and his father decided to send Milkha to Multan, to his elder brother Makhan Singh.
“My father told me to seek help so, I boarded the train from Kot Addu to Multan. The train was full of blood from the earlier trip and I hid in the ladies compartment urging some ladies to not tell the rioter. Later, I accompanied my brother’s wife in a military truck to Ferozepur in India, where I used to polish boots of soldiers to earn money.”
Milkha’s parents and two brothers were killed by the rioters in Kot Addu.
400 m initiation
When Milkha arrived India, initially he stayed at his sister-in-law’s home and later at sister Ishar Kaur’s home. At that time he would steal ration from government trains.
Later Milkha decided to join the army. However, it could happen only after his third attempt and joined the army in 1952. In the armed force, his coach Havildar Gurdev Singh inspired him.
“Sardar Gurdev Singh would run with us. Once I finished second behind him in a cross country race. Then he told me about the 400m track. I asked him what it is to which he said one round of the athletics track. I told him I can run 20 times but he said I have to put an effort of 20 rounds in one round.”
Milkha practiced with all his might and came into the limelight during the National Games at Patiala in 1956.
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Empire Games Gold
In 1958, he broke the 200 meters and 400 meters records in the National Games at Cuttack and made it to the Melbourne Olympics. Milkha would win 400, and 200, gold medals in Tokyo Asian Games where he defeated Asian record holder Abdul Khaliq in 200m clocking 46.6 seconds.
One month later, Milkha made it to the Empire Games final of the 440 yards. At Cardiff Arms Park, he ran a memorable race in front of 70,000 fans. Milkha edge out the then-world record holder Malcolm Spence of South Africa. He received the medal from Queen Elizabeth with Vijaya Laxmi Pandit.
Milkha Singh memoir
Much before Bhag Milkha Bhag, Milkha Singh in his memoir has shown how India and Pakistan shaped his life. With the frequent clashes between India and Pakistan in the 1960s, Milkha acknowledged the affection for the country he was forced to leave.
“History resulted in the partition of India and Pakistan but I am Milkha Singh. Whose childhood was spent in Pakistan and youth was spent in India. Childhood taught me to fight poverty and youth taught me how to win. Wherever I ran, India and Pakistan both ran with me. Abdul Khaliq too was my shadow and sometimes shadows fall behind and sometimes come forward.”
Rome Olympics 4th finish
Milkha’s greatest and probably saddest moment was when he finished fourth in a photo finish at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He held the Olympic 400 m record in the 1960 Rome Olympics.
“Even though it was my mistake of looking back midway in the race apart from the fact that I was running in the outer lane, it was all destiny. It was destiny that my parents could not see me winning medals.”