Top five achievements of India's legendary sprinter Milkha Singh

The Flying Sikh was passed away due to post COVID-19 complications  at the PGIMR Chandigarh.

For any athlete or sportsperson, certain figures transcend the sport and become role models. Milkha Singh is one of them. The former Indian Army officer was one of the finest athletes the country had produced, earning the nickname 'The Flying Sikh' for his outstanding achievements on the track.

The news of his death sent shockwaves through the Indian sporting ecosystem. He passed away in the late night of June 18 at the age of 91 after battling with COVID-19 for over a month. The Olympian had lost his wife, Nirmal Kaur, only five days ago on June 13 due to COVID related complications. 

Born in Gobindpura in Punjab province, British India, Milkha Singh won various accolades in his distinguished career. Let's take a look at some of his marvelous achievements for India during his illustrious career.

5. Consecutive Gold medals in Asian Games

Winning a Gold medal at the Asian Games is an enviable feat. But to repeat the feat four years later at the same stage is near legendary. Milkha Singh lived true to his moniker by clinching the 400m crown in the 1958 Asiad in Tokyo, before successfully defending the title in 1962 in Jakarta.

What makes the achievement even more incredible is the fact that he won Gold medals in other events as well. He claimed medals at 200m and 4x400m relay in Tokyo and Jakarta respectively. The four Gold medals in as many years is a truly incredible achievement that many top athletes only dream of.

4. Only Indian male athlete to win Commonwealth Gold for 56 years

Longevity is in itself a mammoth achievement. The Commonwealth Games has been a regularly attended quadrennial event and therefore, it is absolutely stunning that it took 56 years before another Indian male athlete won a Gold in the tournament.

Milkha Singh remained the sole winner from athletics since winning the 440 yards title in the 1958 Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff. His record was matched by Vikas Gowda in 2014 when he won the Gold in the Discus throw.

3. Only Indian to have broken an Olympic track record

Another achievement that has stood the test of time, Milkha Singh remains the only Indian athlete to have broken an Olympic track record. The achievement came in 1960 when he broke the Olympic record despite finishing fourth in the 400m race.

Unfortunately, the race saw the first two finishers break the world record while the Bronze medalist broke the Olympic record slightly ahead of Milkha. 60 years have passed since and no Indian athlete has managed to break an Olympic track record.

2. 1958 Gold Rush

1958 was a particularly amazing year for the Indian athlete. Every time he stepped on the track, it ended in honours. It started with a double crown at the national level. Milkha Singh set the track ablaze by winning Gold in both the 200m and the 400m events in Cuttack.

He repeated the double crown feat in the Asian Games held later that year in Tokyo, earning his nation two Gold medals. The cherry on the cake came in Cardiff when he won the Gold medal in the erstwhile 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth games’ 440 yards competition.

1. Long standing record of 38 years

The 1960 Rome Olympics, despite proving to be a disappointment, still served as a benchmark for future generations of Indian athletes. Not only did he finish fourth in a tightly contested race and break the Olympic record, Milkha Singh set a national record that would stand the test of time.

It took 38 years before Paramjit Singh managed to overthrow the record that was set in Italy, on a cinder track. Paramjit ran on an easier synthetic track to achieve the feat, which speaks volumes about the outstanding achievements of Milkha Singh.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.