New Delhi, June 19: Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh, also known as the “Flying Sikh”, breathed his last on Friday due to post-Covid complications.
Milkha died at Chandigarh’s PGIMER hospital, less than a week after he lost his wife Nirmal Kaur, a former national volleyball captain, to the same ailment.
He was 91 and is survived by his golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters.
“In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians. His inspiring personality endeared himself to millions. Anguished by his passing away. pic.twitter.com/h99RNbXI28
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2021
India mourns the sad demise of legendary sprinter Shri Milkha Singh Ji, The Flying Sikh. He has left an indelible mark on world athletics. Nation will always remember him as one of the brightest stars of Indian sports. My deepest condolences to his family and countless followers. pic.twitter.com/HsHMXYHypx
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 18, 2021
Popularly referred to as the ‘Flying Sikh’, Milkha Singh made his name on the track and field, winning four gold medals at the Asian Games. He also won a gold at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
He narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal, finishing fourth at the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Games.
Milkha Singh finished the race in a time 45.73 seconds. It remained a national record for nearly 40 years before Paramjeet Singh surpassed it in 1998.
Milkha Singh had also taken part in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics. He was conferred the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1959.
