Four time Asian games gold medallist Milkha Singh passed away due to post-Covid19 complications at the PGIMER hospital in Chandigarh on Friday. Couple of days earlier he was shifted out of the Covid19-ICU and had returned Covid19-negative. The news arrived as the family was battling the loss of Milkha Singh’s wife, Nirmal Kaur, who died due to Covid19 related complications at a private hospital in Mohali on June 13, Sunday. The legendary athlete, who had represented India at several world-level competitions including the Olympics, lost a valiant battle after developing fever and a dip in Oxygen saturation level from Thursday night in the medical ICU of the PGI Chandigarh.

He had become a sports legend in India after surviving the horrors of the partition and living his early life in India doing odd jobs. Joining Indian army gave him tremendous strength and boosted him to the national scene of sports. Milkha Singh attributed his passion for fitness and discipline to his days in Indian army, which chiselled the sportsman in him. The 1958 Commonwealth games 440 yard gold medal was very close to Milkha Singh’s heart. Another personal favourite win for Milkha Singh was the Helms trophy.

Whenever Milkha Singh was asked to reflect on his life, he would say, “Life has given me more than what I deserved.” He was renowned by the name of the flying Sikh.

The title of the Flying Sikh was placed on him in the year 1960. Ayub Khan, had invited Indian athletes for an Indo-Pak sports meet in Lahore. Milkha Singh had earlier refused to go back to Pakistan, which held some very brutal, terrible and painful memories of partition for him. But, he accepted the offer to be the leader of the Indian contingent on the insistence of the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. In Lahore, Milkha Singh was to face off against Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq. In the 200m sprint, Khaliq was considered to be one of the world’s fastest. Khaliq and Milkha had earlier run a race in 1958 which was won by Milkha Singh in the last split second. But, at that point of time, Milkha Singh was dealing with the recent Olympic loss. Tension was palpable as both runners had eyes of their countrymen fixed upon them. But, Milkha Singh came out with flying colours and snatched the race from Khaliq. During the medal ceremony a thoroughly impressed and mesmerised Ayub Khan, nicknamed Milkha Singh as the Flying Sikh.

In Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, over 400 runners ran collectively in excess of 3000 km to honour the legend of the flying Sikh. The group had initially planned to complete 1,920 km, the distance between Ichalkaranji and Mohali but ran a collective total of 3,018 km in two days.

Milkha Singh, the legendary flying Sikh is survived by 14-time international winner and golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh, daughters Mona Singh, Sonia Singh and Aleeza Grover.