Why Milkha Singh should be considered as one of the best Indian Olympian ever?

From fighting his demons during partition to inspiring a nation, The Flying Sikh was an embodiment of glory.

Milkha Singh was one of the most decorated athletes in India. He had been an institution of vigour and passion for many years. India have had a terrible show in athletics in the past but his name is etched in bold letters in the history of the game.

Born in a Sikh family in Govindpura, British India - Singh's introduction to the sport was not a usual one. Although he ran even during his childhood, it was not to be an athlete but to escape the horrors of the 1947 partitions.

The ace sprinter’s journey to becoming a superlative world-class athlete began by chance. While Milkha Singh was serving in the Indian Army, his life took an unexpected turn. It was during his time with the Indian Army when he began to blossom and the rest is history.

After his sprints at the military training, it was time for him to properly stretch his legs. And soon, he was called to represent India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Even though Milkha Singh was not able to go past the heats in the event, he grew as a sportsperson after meeting the legendary United States athlete Charles Jenkins.

Jenkins won the Gold in both 400m individual race and 4x400m relay. The setback changed Singh's view about the sport completely and he worked hard to bring laurels to India. He passed away on June 18 at the PGIMER, Chandigarh due to COVID-19 related complications.

The Flying Sikh did not win an Olympic medal during his illustrious career. So, should he be considered as one of India’s greatest Olympians one all time? Let's find out.

Put Indian athletics on the world map

Milkha Singh displayed the potential of the Indian athletes in international competitions. At a time when India starved to see even a single athlete take over the tracks, his unique accomplishments made him a consummate professional. He won four Gold medals in the Asian Games and also became the first Indian to win an individual Gold at the Commonwealth Games.

The Indian sprinter finished fourth at the Rome Olympics in 1960, which was a massive achievement for the nation at that period of time. Athletics have never been India’s forte but Singh became an institution of the sport. His grit, determination and valour to excel set many records in the game.

A pioneer of Indian atheltics

Not just Singh’s illustrative career as an athlete but even his life story calls for respect. From losing his parents in a tragedy to becoming the sporting ambassador of a nation, he set examples for many aspiring Indian athletes. He achieved success at a time when India wasn't anywhere on the world map in athletics.

The fact that it took 52 years for another Indian athlete to win a Gold in the Commonwealth Games speaks volumes of Milkha's greatness. His national record in 400m, which he created during the Rome Olympics, also stood for 38 years. Paramjit Singh managed to overthrow his record on a cinder track. He ran on an easier synthetic track to achieve the feat. Milkha Singh showed Indian athletes that anything can be achieved with hunger and the right amount of hard work.

Haunting back story

Following his retirement, Milkha Singh spoke about his heartbreak at the Olympics on many occasions. He even went on to say that the pain of not being able to make the podium finish in the biggest sporting event in the world is next to that of losing his parents. His loss by a fraction of a second in the Rome Olympics haunted him for five decades.

But Milkha Singh did not lose hope, he won billions of hearts with his performances. For him, sports was not just about winning the medals but competing and giving your best. He defeated one of Asia's best Abdul Khaliq in the Indo-Pak Sports Meet in 1960 after the Olympics. The then Pakistani President General Ayub Khan was so impressed with Singh's performance that he gave him the nickname 'The Flying Sikh'.

Created a sporting culture in India

Much like Abhinav Bindra’s Gold in the 2008 Olympic Games revived shooting, Saina Nehwal's Bronze medal in London 2012 revamped badminton- Milkha Singh’s performance in Rome brought a new dawn for India in the Olympics.

He will go down as the greatest athlete in Indian sports for creating a sporting culture in the country. Milkha Singh made people believe and there is no better instrument than hope for an athlete. He reminded everyone that Indians have the potential to reach new heights in the field of sports. Not just a sporting personality, but the legendary sprinter helped India punch above and grab its current stature in sports, which should be the highlights of his legacy left behind.

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