Milkha Singh congratulates golfer Ranveer Singh Saini

Chandigarh: Sporting legend Milkha Singh on Sunday congratulated golfer Ranveer Singh Saini, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

Milkha Singh said the autistic sportsperson has set an example for millions of young Indians that anything is possible to achieve with self belief and hard work.

"I want to congratulate Ranveer and his coach for such a stupendous performance," the 84-year-old Milkha, who is also popularly known as 'Flying Sikh', said.

The 14-year-old autistic golfer achieved the feat in GF Golf-Level 2 Alternate Shot Team Play event yesterday.

"Ranveer has set an example for millions of young Indians that with self belief, determination, strong will and hard work, anything is possible to achieve. He has made the entire country proud," he told PTI here.

Milkha Singh said that he had talked to Ranveer's parents also and congratulated them.

"I was also happy to learn that Ranveer Singh used to follow (Milkha's son and ace golfer) Jeev Milkha Singh," he further said.

Ranveer and his partner Monica Jajoo were nine shots clear of joint second-placed teams from Hong Kong (Tsz Leung Chung-Ka Kit Lam) and Nippon (Takefumi Hiyoshi-Tadatoshi Sakai).

The Gurgaon-based teenager was diagnosed with autism, a neurological disorder characterised by impaired social interaction, at the age of 2. He took to the sport at the age of nine.

Two years ago Saini became the first Indian golfer to win two gold medals at the Asia Pacific World Games.