MILKHA SINGH : THE LIVING LEGEND

MILKHA SINGH :THE FLYING SIKH

The partition of India 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.

He was very heartbroken and disillusioned after losing so many members of his family and he considered becoming a dacoit. He grew up in that enviornment ,But fate had greater plans in store for him.

He tried to join the army thrice but was rejected. But he had the passion and determination to achieve his goals and has great motivation skills. 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.

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.  Milkha began training hard and harder at the Army to become an accomplished Athlete. He showed his prowess for the first time at the Services Athletic Meet 1955, wherein he finished 2nd in the 200m and 400m race events. After delivering a much better performance and winning both the events at the National Games 1956 held at Patiala, Milkha went on to break the 200m and 400m records in the National Games 1958, held at Cuttack. He clocked 46.1m in 400m at National Games 1960 that was considered to be a World class performance of that time. But, his best had still to arrive.

Milkha Singh defeated the Fastest Pakistani runner Abdul Khaliq who had won a 100m Gold Medal at Tokyo Asian Games 1958 in the year 1962. 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, a name that has become immortal in the history of athletics.

In the first heat in the Rome Olympics in 1960, Milkha Singh clocked 47.6 seconds to finish second. In the second round, he finished second to Karl Kaufman of Germany with a timing of 46.5 seconds. In the semis, he came second but he further reduced a few more seconds from his early timing (45.9).

In the final, Milkha Singh went off the blocks and took an early lead. He slowed a bit midway into the race and the others overtook him there. He increased his pace and gave his best on the last lap. However, the race was such a close and fierce one that he had to settle for fourth by just 0.1 seconds. However, his effort is hailed as he clocked 47.6, 46.5, 45.9 and 45.6 seconds in his four runs clocking a better timing in every outing.

Achievements

In recognition of Singh's successes in the 1958 Asian Games, he was promoted from the rank of sepoy to junior commissioned officer.

He was given the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 1959 for his glorious achievements in the field of sports.

He eventually became the Director of Sports in the Punjab Ministry of Education.

A True Inspiration

He is a true inspiration because he belonged to a time when there was no coach for him, no reward for his effort and no job security to keep training, all he had was a will to win and that made him greater. We can’t choose where we Originate from but we can choose where we want to head to.

Milkha Singh’s story from the modest origins in a tiny village, Gobindpura is a proof that with hope, confidence, and effort, we can go a long way, stay ahead, attain international fame and live life fully!

If we learn from his experience and adopt hard work, willpower, and dedication, we can make our lives a success. Hats off to you Milkha Singh!

An Advice To The Newbies

“I would not stop till I had filled up a bucket with my sweat. I would push myself so much that in the end I would collapse and I would have to be admitted to the hospital, I would pray to god to save me, promise that I would be more careful in future. And then I would do it all over again” - Milkha

Theoffbeatvibes_ : BE A WARRIOR.