Milkha Singh at the 2014 IIFA Awards. (Amar D. Gupta/Siliconeer)

TL; DR

Gold Medalist and Honorary Captain Milkha Singh passed away at the age of 91. Known as the ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh has given India many laurels over the years and we will remember him as a legend. We wish his family our prayers and condolences and we hope his story continues to inspire millions.

Singh was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army.

Apart from being the only athlete to win gold in 400 meters race at the Asian Games as well the Commonwealth Games, Singh also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Milkha Singh was awarded the “Padma Shri,” India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, in recognition of his sporting achievements.

The race for which Singh was best remembered is his fourth-place finish in the 400 meters Finals at the 1960 Olympic Games, which he had entered as one of the favorites. Various records were broken in the race. Singh’s fourth-place time of 45.73 seconds was the Indian national record for almost 40 years.

Orphaned and displaced during the Partition of India, Singh became a sporting icon in India. In 2008, journalist Rohit Brijnath rightly described Singh as “the finest athlete India has ever produced.”

Siliconeer had the privilege of meeting ‘The Flying Sikh’ during his visit to Tampa, Fl, in April 2014, at the IIFA Awards event.

(Source: Wikipedia)