Milkha Singh, a symbol of toil and struggle

Milkha Singh, the name synonymous with running to survive and succeed, has moved to a better world. The best-remembered Indian athlete for generations, Milkha lived a life where he remained eternally grateful to God.

Milkha Singh practising at the National Stadium in Delhi, in this undated photograph. - THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Milkha Singh, the name synonymous with running to survive and succeed, has moved to a better world.

“Life has given me more than what I deserved.” Milkha often repeated this line.

“I can't help saying this each time I am asked to reflect on my life.”

Having lived through the horrors of partition to become the best-remembered Indian athlete for generations, Milkha lived a life where he remained eternally grateful to God. “God wanted me to play a part in bringing glory to India and bestowed me and my family with all the goodness. My country and countrymen gave me more than what I could ever expect. Now, I pray to live and die healthy.”

Those chance meetings at the Delhi Golf Club were very special. One always listened and learnt as he shared his wisdom when he settled down for a light snack after a round of golf.

Devotee of fitness

A strict disciplinarian and a devotee of fitness, Milkha attributed much to the role played by the Army. His penchant for running is well-known but many are unaware that even when did not feel well, he refrained from taking medicines and found a remedy in running. “I slip into my tracksuit and go for a jog. Once you perspire, all the pain goes away. Try it sometime and see the difference,” he would say.

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“Army gave me a second life. For three or four years, after partition, I roamed around doing odd jobs. I always wanted to join the Army and I succeeded on my fourth attempt. It was in the Army that I got a chance to take part in the cross-country run. Army saw some talent in me and encouraged me. For Southern Command and later for Services, I won a number of races in 200 and 400 metres.”

Milkha held the 1958 Commonwealth Games 440-yard gold medal (in Cardiff) very close to his heart. “This was really a very special moment. The other moment was when I was honoured with the Helms Trophy for the best athlete. That felt incredible.”

Lingering pain

India's Mllkha Singh, winner of the 200m sprint at the Asian games at Tokyo on May 28, 1958. He is flanked by Pakistan's Khaliq (117) and Philippines' Bautista who finished second and third. - THE HINDU ARCHIVES

His best days came between 1958 and 1962 but the heartbreak of missing a medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics left behind a lingering pain.

“I cried for many days after that loss. But Nehru  ji  (then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru) was very kind and told me that the nation was proud of me and I should not despair having given my best,” he once shared how he was consoled.

“Running on those cinder tracks (later replaced by the synthetic tracks from the 1968 Olympics) took out a lot of the athletes. We had to train harder and did not know how much training was enough. Wish we had these kinds of even tracks and today’s guidance, in our days.”

In his later years, he was a regular in walking the course when his golfer-son Jeev played the Indian Open, the country’s flagship golf event. In fact, golf became Milkha’s second love after running.

“There is a similarity between golf and running,” he would say and continue, “in both, your rivals don’t stop you from doing what you are capable of doing. In other words, in both these disciplines, you ‘run’ your race.”

Milkha surely ran his race well.