The Flying Sikh - Milkha Singh

Milkha Singh is a former Indian track and field sprinter. He is a living legend as he won 77 races out of 80 races he ran in his life. His name needs no introduction in today’s world. He is known for his speed, his strength and his passion. While serving in the Indian army he was introduced to running as a sport. By 2014 he was the only Indian male athlete to win an individual gold medal at Commonwealth Games.

Milkha Singh was born on November 20, 1929 in Govindpura, a village which is 10 kilometres away from Muzzafgarh, now in Pakistan. His parents along with his one brother and two sisters were killed during the partition. He had total 15 siblings out of which 8 of them died before Partition of India. After he was been orphaned, he moved to Delhi in 1947 and lived with his married sister. He was even imprisoned once to Tihar Jail for travelling without ticket. Encouraged by his brother Malkhan he qualified for the Indian Army in 1951. He was introduced to athletics when he was stationed at Electrical Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secunderabad. On this Singh said that, “I came from a remote village, I didn't know what running was, or the Olympics". 

After completing his graduation from EME, he started training for 400m and represented India in 200m and 400m in 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. In 1958 he participated for 200m and 400m in the National Games of India held in Cuttack. Also, he won gold medal in the Asian Games clocking 21.6 and 47 seconds. Later, in 1958 he won gold in 400m at Cardiff Commonwealth Games clocking 46.16 seconds time. After the Asian games he was promoted from sepoy to Junior Commissioned Officer.

Thus, he was started to be known as the first Independent Indian to win a gold medal at Commonwealth Games. In 1960 he was encouraged by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru to race successfully against Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq. It was then, where General Ayub Khan nicknamed Singh as “The Flying Sikh”. Milkha Singh also won a gold medal in 400m race held in Jakarta in 1962.  In 1962, Singh married Nirmal Kaur, former Indian captain of women’s volleyball team in India. He first met Kaur in 1955 in Ceylon. There are several records and honours registered in name of ‘the flying sikh’ like; Singh was awarded Padma Shri in 1958, in 1998 he retired from the post of Director of Sports in Punjab Ministry of Education, in 2001 he was offered Arjuna Award which he refused. Besides these, Milkha Singh also wrote his autobiography named as, The Race of My Life in 2013 which inspired director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who directed the biographical film ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ on Milkha Singh’s life.