Milkha Singh passes away: Sports fraternity pays tribute to the legendary athlete

India`s sporting fraternity paid homage to one of its most inspiring figures, Milkha Singh, who continued to be a keen observer even after quitting the track.

Legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh, popularly known as 'Flying Sikh, passed away in a local hospital in Chandigarh at 11.30 p.m. on Friday (June 18), said a statement from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, where he was being treated for Covid-related complications.

He was born in Layalpur, in undivided India and now in Pakistan. His love with athletics began after he enrolled himself with the EME Corps of the Indian Army.

Six days ago, on June 13, Milkha's wife Nirmal had passed away. A former India volleyball captain, she was 85, and she too was affected by Covid and related complications.

"Legendary Indian Sprinter Shri Milkha Singh ji was admitted in the ICU of Covid Hospital of PGIMER on 3rd June 2021 and was treated for Covid there till 13th June when after putting up a valiant battle with Covid, Milkha Singh Ji tested negative," said Prof Ashok Kumar, official spokesperson, PGIMER, in a media statement after Milkha Singh passed away.

"However, due to post-Covid complications, he was shifted out of Covid Hospital to medical ICU. But despite the best efforts by the medical team, Milkha Singh ji could not be retrieved from his critical condition and after a brave fight, he left for his heavenly abode at 11.30 p.m. on 18th June 2021, here at PGIMER," the statement said.

Meanwhile, the sports fraternity mourned Milkha Singh’s death and took to Twitter to pay tribute to the legendary athlete.

Milkha became popular when he clocked 45.6 seconds to finish fourth at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Until that time, it was the closest that an Indian athlete had come to winning an individual Olympic medal.

Later, of course, P.T. Usha missed a bronze medal by a whisker in 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. She clocked 55.42 seconds, and missed the bronze by a mere 0.01 seconds.

Decades later, a Bollywood film was made on Milkha Singh.