Milkha Singh succumbs to COVID-19, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Farhan Akhtar and others mourn demise of Flying Sikh!

Pic Courtesy: Twitter/Fan Pages

New Delhi: The legendary Indian sprinter, Milkha Singh - the Flying Sikh breathed his last on Jun 18, 2021, due to COVID complications. The entire nation mourned his demise and extended condolences online. The nonagenarian sprint icon died at 11:30 pm on Friday in Chandigarh. 

Bollywood too paid tribute to the legend named Milkha Singh. From Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar to Taapsee Pannu and Farhan Akhtar, who played the titular role in Milkha Singh's biopic - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - thronged social media to express grief. 

T 3940 - In grief .. Milkha Singh passes away .. the pride of India .. a great athlete .. a greater human ..
Waheguru di Mehr .. prayers  — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) June 19, 2021

The Flying Sikh may no longer be with us in person but his presence will always be felt and his legacy will remain unmatched... An inspiration to me... an inspiration to millions. Rest in Peace Milkha Singh sir. — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 18, 2021

Incredibly sad to hear about the demise of #MilkhaSingh ji. The one character I forever regret not playing on-screen!
May you have a golden run in heaven, Flying Sikh. Om shanti, Sir  — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) June 19, 2021

pic.twitter.com/Ti2I457epP — Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) June 19, 2021

And he flew away  — taapsee pannu (@taapsee) June 18, 2021

I’ve always been & forever will be a fan of Milkha Singhji, who in his lifetime sped like the wind. Stories of the Flying Sikh are a part of Indian folklore. What a monumental loss. RIP #MilkhaSinghJi  — Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) June 19, 2021

Pride of #India #MilkhaSinghJi #RestInPeaceMilkhaSingh pic.twitter.com/oDvTo9Xtpw — Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) June 19, 2021

Then and now . Respect , an inspiration for all pic.twitter.com/0O05rXnMst

— mohit raina (@mohituraina) June 19, 2021

The bereaved Singh family confirmed the news in a statement reading, "It is with extreme sadness that we would like to inform you that Milkha Singh Ji passed away. He fought hard but God has his ways and it was perhaps true love and companionship that both our mother Nirmal Ji and now Dad have passed away in a matter of 5 days."

Milkha Singh had tested positive for COVID-19 last month and was in isolation at his home in Chandigarh before he was admitted to the ICU of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) hospital in Chandigarh.

The legendary athlete is a four-time Asian Games gold-medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion. He is still the only Indian athlete to win Gold in the Asian and Commonwealth Championship. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India`s fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements. Milkha Singh is survived by one son and three daughters. 

His son Jeev Milkha Singh is also a renowned Golfer. Singh`s wife and former Captain of the Indian Women National Volleyball team, Nirmal Milkha Singh succumbed to COVID-19 at the age of 85 on June 13. 

(With ANI inputs)