Milkha Singh, Indian sprint great, passes away aged 91

Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh passed away in Chandigarh on Friday after a month-long battle with COVID-19. He was 91.

Legendary athlete Milkha Singh passed away on Friday due to COVID-19 complications. (File Photo)

Indian sprint legend Milkha Singh passed away on Friday after a month-long battle with COVID-19. He was 91. He recently lost his wife Nirmal Kaur to the virus and is survived by his golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters.

Milkha had also contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalised on June 3. He was shifted out of the COVID ICU on Wednesday after testing negative for the virus.

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However, after he developed a fever and his oxygen saturation level also dropped, he was moved back to the Intensive Care Unit of the PGIMER hospital.

 

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The legendary athlete, a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion, missed the bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics by 1/100th of a second.

Milkha Singh, a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion, missed the bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics by 1/100th of a second.

 

His timing at the Italian capital was a national record for 38 years till Paramjeet Singh broke it in 1998. He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1959.