Milkha Singh

According to Gulu Ezekiel, a reputed Indian sports commentator,  "Milkha Singh ranks as one of the greatest Indian sports-persons of all time"(Gulu  Ezekiel).Milkha Singh,nicknamed The Flying Sikh, started off as a mediocre cadet in the Indian army. Often times he was actually denied his chance to become something better.Milkha Singh had the perseverance to make it from a harsh childhood to eventually become an inspiration to all of India through his amazing performance on the race track.

Milkha Singh suffered a humiliating loss in the Olympic games of 1960, yet had the perseverance to come back from that loss and break multiple international records. So instead of losing hope, Singh doubled his efforts to make up for his loss. He participated in competitions across Europe to take his mind off the loss. According to Ezekiel, "It was not long before depression set in. 'After the race, I had no interest in anything. I felt after years of dominating the sport that decline had set in. I passed a few days immersed in sorrow.' Singh said. To return to India in that state of mind would have been dangerous"(Gulu Ezekiel ). Milkha Singh needed to dedicate himself to his running. He was committed to come first once again. Singh knew he couldn't do it all alone. His coach, Havildar Gurdev Singh, helped him train to past exhaustion. According to Archana Masih, a biographer, "Motivated by his coach Havildar Gurdev Singh he left it to the elements to hone his craft -- running on the hills, the sands of the Yamuna river, and against the speed of a metre gauge train. He says so intense was his training that very often he vomited blood and would collapse in exhaustion" (Archana Masih). Milkha Singh's practice was extremely intense. Singh would often push himself to the extremes. Milkha Singh knew he needed to redeem himself after the loss at the Olympics. His constant perseverance lead him to win many races in the rest of his life. Milkha Singh did everything to redeem himself after his Olympic loss. Singh's coach helped him bring back his confidence and Singh eventually raced throughout the rest of Europe. Singh's constant perseverance led to him winning multiple races throughout the rest of his life.

Milkha Singh had a very tough childhood, and yet still managed to accomplish amazing feats. From his parents being massacred, to living in a refugee camp after crossing the border at 14 years old, Singh dealt with a childhood most children would leave with no hope, ambitions or goals."But in 1947 the 12-year-old Milkha had just one mission - to escape to independent India. His parents and other relatives had been massacred in front of his eyes in Lyalpur and Milkha was now literally running for his life, crossing the border at great peril. It was the Army that provided him with refuge and all the facilities for his beloved sport."(GULU EZEKIEL). As he grew up, joining the army was one of the only options that Milkha Singh had. There he found his love for the sport of running. Milkha ran his first ever meet in his army camp and after that continued up the ranks to eventually represent India internationally. "It was a hard uphill climb for the refugee from Muzaffargarh in west Pakistan. The Partition massacres of 1947 took the lives of his parents and Singh was rejected by the army thrice. He subsequently enrolled in the army's electrical mechanical engineering branch in 1952 when his brother Malkhan Singh put in a word for him, and experienced his first sport outing at its athletics meet a fortnight later"(Archana Masih). Even after the partition, Milkha Singh had a tough life. He turned into a thief to survive the harsh conditions of a refugee camp. He found his sister in delhi, and lived with her.  He knew he needed to change his life so he went to join the army. Milkha Singh had a very challenging childhood and could have stayed a thief like many other children fending for themselves however he made multiple changes to his life and found his way to the army. Instead of allowing his past to continue to torment him, Milkha Singh left the lifestyle of a thief to join a respectable position in the army. After doing so, Singh worked even harder to eventually become the reputed athlete the world now knows him as.

Singh's perseverance to achieve greatness from the harsh reality he was living in inspired other including me to do better. Even after his parents were killed, he chose to go on with his life to achieve what he wanted. Even after a constant battle with life, Singh fought his way up to achieve greatness. Milkha Singh always remained humble to constantly making it clear that he always felt over appreciated. He never felt like he was the hero, or a huge sports icon. He felt like he did what was right for his country. Many also admire Singh's willpower. Milkha Singh said that Arjuna Awards (Indian sports awards) were being given to those who did not deserve them. He said, "I am against this award itself and the way it is awarded . national sports awards like the Arjuna Awards should be decided by specialists who had a deep understanding of the subject. It is of no use giving such awards to such persons who might produce one freak performance during their lifetime"(The Indian Army).

Works Cited

EZEKIEL, GULU. "The Flying Sikh's Exploits." Thehindu. Thehindu, n.d. Web. 09

May 2014.

Masih, Archana. "Rediff.com Olympics Special: Milkha Singh on the Race of His Life." Rediff.com Olympics Special: Milkha Singh on the Race of His Life. Rediff, 5 May 2012. Web. 09 May 2014.

"JOIN INDIAN ARMY." : The Flying Sikh "MILKHA SINGH" 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 21 May 2014.