INDIA Mourns Demise Of Iconic Sprinter MILKHA Singh

Eminent people from various walks of life are deeply saddened at the passing away of  MILKHA Singh, India’s legendary track and field sprinter who has succumbed to Covid-19 complications at Chandigarh. Milkha Singh, lovingly called “the Flying Sikh”, made his nation proud by winning four Asian gold medals and also finishing fourth in the 400m final at the Rome Olympics in 1960. The sprint legend passed away on Friday, June 18, at the Intensive Care Unit of the PGIMER hospital in Chandigarh. He was 91. The Padma Shri awardee is survived by his golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters. His wife Nirmal Kaur, former India’s Volleyball skipper, lost her life recently to the Coronavirus infection. Honorary  Captain Milkha Singh was serving the Indian Army when he joined the sports. He was the only athlete to win gold in 400 meters race at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. The Flying Sikh represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. His greatest performance was the fourth-place finish in the 400m final at the 1960 Rome. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have expressed grief over the demise of sporting icon Milkha Singh. They also expressed their deepest condolences to his family and countless followers. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar and Minister for Youth Affairs have expressed sadness over the demise of legendary iconic sprinter Milkha Singh. In a tweet, Mr Javadekar said, he will always remain an inspiration for all. Edited by PKC