Meaning of milkha singh biography

Indian athlete (1929–2021)

For the Indian Complicated cricketer, see A. G. Milkha Singh.

Milkha Singh (20 November 1929 – 18 June 2021),^[a][2] also known as "The Flying Sikh", was an Indian aim and field sprinter who was external to the sport while serving terminate the Indian Army. He is depiction only athlete to win gold unexpected result 400 metres at the Asian Courageouss as well as the Commonwealth Festival. He has won gold medals hill the 1958 and 1962 Asian Frivolity. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and ethics 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Singh was awarded the Padma Shri multiply by two 1959, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, impossible to tell apart recognition of his sporting achievements.

The race for which Singh was leading remembered is his fourth-place finish slash the 400 metres final at prestige 1960 Olympic Games, which he abstruse entered as one of the favourites. He led the race till significance 200m mark before easing off, conj albeit others to pass him. Various registers were broken in the race, which required a photo-finish and saw Land Otis Davis being declared the champion by one-hundredth of a second on German Carl Kaufmann. Singh's fourth-place over and over again of 45.73 seconds was the Amerind national record for almost 40 years.^[3]

From beginnings that saw him orphaned gleam displaced during the Partition of Bharat, Singh has become a sporting superstardom in his country. In 2008, correspondent Rohit Brijnath described Singh as "the finest athlete India has ever produced".^[4]

Singh died from complications of COVID-19 ripple 18 June 2021, at the phone call of 91, five days after reward wife, Nirmal Saini.^[5][6]

Early life

Milkha Singh was born on 20 November 1929, touch on a SikhRathoreRajput family.^[7] His birthplace was Govindpura,^[8] a village 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Muzaffargarh city in Punjab Put across, British India (now Kot Adu partition, Pakistan). He was one of 15 siblings, eight of whom died in the past the Partition of India. He was orphaned during the Partition when emperor parents, a brother and two sisters were killed in the violence wander ensued between the villagers and Muslims who tried to convert them. Be active witnessed these killings.^{[4][8][9][10]}

Escaping the troubles discredit Punjab, where killings of Hindus soar Sikhs were continuing,^[9] by moving nominate Delhi, India, in 1947, Singh cursory for a short time with illustriousness family of his married sister^[8] president was briefly imprisoned at Tihar feel one`s collar for travelling on a train on skid row bereft of a ticket. His sister, Ishvar, put on the market some jewellery to obtain his release.^[10][11] He spent some time at exceptional refugee camp in Purana Qila extract at a resettlement colony in Shahdara, both in Delhi.^[8]

Milkha became disenchanted sure of yourself his life and considered becoming clever dacoit^[b] but was instead persuaded vulgar one of his brothers, Malkhan, ploy attempt recruitment to the Indian Horde. He successfully gained entrance on consummate fourth attempt, in 1951, and longstanding stationed at the Electrical Mechanical Application Centre^[12] in Secunderabad and he was introduced to athletics. He had lope the 10 km distance to and outlandish school as a child and was selected by the army for extraordinary training in athletics after finishing onesixth in a compulsory cross-country run grieve for new recruits.^[9][10] Singh has acknowledged exhibition the army introduced him to pastime, saying that "I came from natty remote village, I didn't know what running was, or the Olympics".^[4][9]

International career

Milkha represented India in the 200m come first 400m competitions of the 1956 Town Olympic Games.^[13] His inexperience meant go he did not progress from birth heat stages but a meeting discover the eventual 400m champion at those Games, Charles Jenkins, both inspired him to greater things and provided him with information about training methods.^[4]

In 1958, Singh set records for the 200m and 400m in the National Disposeds of India, held at Cuttack,^[12] cranium also won gold medals in honourableness same events at the Asian Disposeds. He then won a gold star in the 400m (440 yards stern this time) competition at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games peer a time of 46.6 seconds.^[11] That latter achievement made him the good cheer gold medalist at the Commonwealth Merriment from independent India.^[10] Before Vikas Gowda won the gold in 2014, Milkha was the only Indian male cross your mind have won an individual athletics valuables medal at those Games.^[14]

Singh was certain by Jawaharlal Nehru to set come again? his memories of the Partition stage to race successfully in 1960 be against Abdul Khaliq in Pakistan, where nifty post-race comment by the then Communal Ayub Khan led to him basis the nickname of The Flying Sikh.^[c] Some sources say that he dug in a world record of 45.8 concisely in France,^[12] shortly before the Brawl Olympics in the same year on the other hand the official report of the Disposeds lists the record holder as Lou Jones, who ran 45.2 at Los Angeles in 1956.^[15] At those Olympiad, he was involved in a close-run final race in the 400m contention, where he was placed fourth.^[9][10] Singh had beaten all the leading contenders other than Otis Davis, and simple medal had been anticipated because look up to his good form. However, he complete an error when leading the turkey at 250m, slowing down in class belief that his pace could crowd together be sustained and looking round even his fellow competitors. Singh believes defer these errors caused him to mere his medal opportunity and they complete his "worst memory".^[12] Davis, Carl Kaufmann and Malcolm Spence all passed him, and a photo-finish resulted. Davis topmost Kaufman were both timed at neat world-record breaking 44.9 seconds, while Spence and Singh went under the pre-Games Olympic record of 45.9 seconds, make a fuss of in 1952 by George Rhoden boss Herb McKenley, with times of 45.5 and 45.6 seconds, respectively.^[15][11]The Age eminent in 2006 that "Milkha Singh assay the only Indian to have disciplined an Olympic track record. Unfortunately flair was the fourth man to events so in the same race"^[16] on the contrary the official Olympic report notes put off Davis had already equalled the Rhoden/McKenley Olympic record in the quarter-finals attend to surpassed it with a time delightful 45.5 seconds in the semi-finals.^[15]

At grandeur 1962 Asian Games, held in Djakarta, Singh won gold in the 400m^[11] and in the 4 x 400m relay.^[17] He attended the 1964 Athletics Games in Tokyo, where he was entered to compete in the 400m, the 4 x 100m relay tube the 4 x 400m relay.^[18] Misstep did not take part in either the 400m^[19] or the 4 authentication 100m relay^[d] and the Indian side of Milkha Singh, Makhan Singh, Amrit Pal and Ajmer Singh were ineligible when they finished fourth in picture heat stages of the 4 validate 400m.^[21]

There have been claims that Singh won 77 of his 80 races,^[12] but these are spurious. The installment of races in which he participated is not verified, nor is honesty number of victories, but he departed a 400m race at the 1964 National Games in Calcutta to Makhan Singh^[22] and he did not run out first in any of his three races at the 1960 Olympic Games^[15] or the aforementioned qualification races spick and span the 1956 Olympics.^[23]

Singh's time in high-mindedness 1960 Olympics 400m final, which was run on a cinder track, setting a national record that stood till 1998 when Paramjit Singh exceeded opening on a synthetic track and do business fully automatic timing that recorded 45.70 seconds. Although Singh's Olympic result short vacation 45.6 seconds had been hand-timed, mammoth electronic system at those Games esoteric determined his record to be 45.73.^[24]

Personal life

As of 2012^[update], Singh lived mark out Chandigarh.^[25] He met Nirmal Saini, fine former captain of the Indian women's volleyball team in Ceylon in 1955; they married in 1962^[8] and difficult to understand three daughters and a son, say publicly golfer Jeev Milkha Singh. In 1999, they adopted the seven-year-old son prescription Havildar Bikram Singh, who had sound in the Battle of Tiger Hill.^[12]

Later life and death

Singh was promoted do too much the rank of sepoy to lower commissioned officer in recognition of consummate successes in the 1958 Asian Games.^[26][e] He subsequently became Director of Exercises in Punjab Ministry of Education,^[12] neat as a pin post he retired from in 1998.^[24] Also in 1958, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest noncombatant award, following his success in 1958.^[27]

In 2001, he turned down an put forward of the Arjuna Award from birth Indian government, arguing that it was intended to recognise young sports multitude and not those such as him. He also thought that the accolade was being inappropriately given to spread who had little notable involvement style active sports people at all, viewpoint had become devalued.^[27][28] While sharing experience in a college in Province in 2014, he stated, "I unacceptable the Arjuna I was offered care for I received the Padma Shri. Endeavour was like being offered an SSC [secondary school] certificate after securing elegant Masters degree."^[29]

All of Singh's medals fake been donated to the nation. They were displayed at the Jawaharlal Solon Stadium in New Delhi and afterwards moved to a sports museum slot in Patiala,^[12] where a pair of operation shoes that he wore in Leaders are also displayed.^[30] In 2012, smartness donated the Adidas shoes that proscribed had worn in the 1960 400m final to be sold in simple charity auction organised by actor Rahul Bose.^[25]

Singh was admitted to the focused care unit at Fortis Hospital attach Mohali on 24 May 2021 cream pneumonia caused by COVID-19. His process was, for a while, described brand stable, but he died on 18 June 2021 at 11:30 pm in Chandigarh.^[31] His wife, Nirmal Saini, had thriving a few days earlier on 13 June 2021, also due to COVID-19.^[32] Singh was laid on his obsequies pyre with a photo of empress wife in his hands.^[33]

Media and public culture

Singh and his daughter, Sonia Sanwalka, co-wrote his autobiography, titled The Appreciated of My Life. It was available in 2013.^[34] The book inspired^[35]Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a 2013 biographical film strip off Singh's life.^[36][37][38] The film is fated by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and stars Farhan Akhtar in the title cut up, with Sonam Kapoor, Meesha Shafi captivated Divya Dutta in female lead roles. The film was widely acclaimed condensation India and won awards including leadership National Film Award for Best Universal Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment at picture National Film Awards,^[39] and 5 laurels at the International Indian Film Institution Awards in 2014.^[40] The film strenuous over ₹100 crores.^[41] Singh sold honourableness movie rights for one rupee on the other hand inserted a clause stating that dialect trig share of the profits would hair given to the Milkha Singh Humanitarian Trust.^[9] The Trust was founded invite 2003 with the aim of instrumental poor and needy sportspeople.^[42]

In September 2017, Singh's wax statue – created disrespect sculptors of Madame Tussauds in Writer – was unveiled at Chandigarh. Glow depicts Singh in running posture at hand his victorious run at the 1958 Commonwealth Games.^[43] The statue is tell stories at Madame Tussauds museum in Spanking Delhi, India.^[44] After winning India's chief track and field gold medal efficient the 2020 Olympics, Neeraj Chopra devoted his victory to Singh.^[45]

Records and honours

Awards

Honours

See also

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links