India has been a land of many great sportspersons over the years. Many of them have earned different titles and nicknames due to their noteworthy performances. But do you know who has earned the title of the Flying Sikh? This title is given to a sportsperson whose story is not just about speed on a track. It is about survival from the time of partition, courage, and turning the pain into the greatest strength. Let us learn about who is known as the Flying Sikh of India.
Flying Sikh of India
This title has been given to Milkha Singh who was India’s first individual sports star. He was an Indian track and field sprinter and represented India in the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics. Milkha Singh served in the Indian Army and he discovered his talent for running while he was in service.
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Why Was This Title Given to Him?
Source: Olympics
The title of Flying Sikh was given to Milkha The title "Flying Sikh" was given to Milkha Singh by Pakistani President Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1960. Milkha was invited to race in Pakistan against Abdul Khaliq, who was the 1958 Asian Games champion in 100m.
In the beginning, Milkha was hesitant to visit Pakistan as he carried painful memories of the Partition. But Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru encouraged him to go and represent India.
Milkha ran so fast in that race that President Ayub Khan said, "You didn't run in Pakistan, you flew. We would like to give you the title of the Flying Sikh." From that day, the name stayed with him forever.
The Olympics website mentions: “Milkha had then beaten Khaliq, the 1958 Asian Games champion in 100m, in a 200m event which was closely noticed by General Ayub Khan who gave him the moniker ‘Flying Sikh’.”
“He said, 'Milkha ji, you didn’t run in Pakistan, you flew. We would like to give you the title of Flying Sikh.' So if people know me by that moniker, it’s all because of Pakistan’s generosity,” Milkha had said,” it adds.
Early Life of Milkha Singh
Milkha Singh was born on 20 November 1929 in Govindpura, a village in Punjab, which is now a part of Pakistan.
His childhood was filled with many challenges. During the Partition of India in 1947, Milkha lost his parents, a brother, and two sisters to the violence.
After the Partition, he came to India as a refugee. He lived at railway platforms and refugee shelters, doing odd jobs just to survive. In the year 1952, he joined the Indian Army, and that decision changed his life completely.
Major Achievements of Milkha Singh
Once Milkha joined the Army, his coaches spotted his talent and trained him seriously. He worked extremely hard and went on to achieve things no Indian athlete had done before.
In 1958, he won gold medals in both the 200m and 400m races at the Asian Games in Tokyo. In the same year, he won gold in the 440 yards race at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, becoming the first Indian from independent India to win an individual gold at the Commonwealth Games.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he became the first Indian man to reach the final of an Olympic athletics event. He finished fourth in the 400m race with a timing of 45.73 seconds. In the 1962 Asian Games, he won gold medals in the 400m and 4x400m relay events.
Milkha Singh donated all his medals to the nation. They were first displayed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi and later moved to a sports museum in Patiala.
Awards and Honours
Milkha Singh received several major awards for his achievements in sports.
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He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1959, which is India's fourth highest civilian award.
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He was offered the Arjuna Award but rejected it.
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He was also given the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award.
In 2013, a biographical film called "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" was made on his life, starring Farhan Akhtar. The film brought his incredible story to millions of Indians. After Neeraj Chopra won India's first track and field gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, he dedicated his victory to Milkha Singh.
Family of Milkha Singh
Milkha Singh met Nirmal Saini, the captain of the Indian women's national volleyball team, while serving in the Army. The couple married in 1963 and had four children. His son Jeev Milkha Singh became a well-known professional golfer.
Milkha Singh passed away on 18 June 2021 in Chandigarh at the age of 91. Yet in his lifetime, he changed the face of Indian athletics forever. From a homeless refugee who ran just to survive, he became a man who made an entire nation stand up and cheer. He will always be India's Flying Sikh.