With the passing away of Milkha Singh, an eventful era in Indian athletics has come to an end. The outpouring of emotion from sportspersons to Bollywood celebrities, and from politicians to entrepreneurs, in the wake of the demise of the 91-year-old, is a reflection of what the legendary sprinter meant to our country. For generations, Milkha Singh, who succumbed to Covid-19 after a month-long battle on Friday night, wasn't just a one-of-a-kind Indian athlete— he was an emotion. His is not just the proverbial rags-to-riches tale of a young man from a refugee camp in Delhi going on to become arguably the biggest sporting superstar of his time. He was a symbol of India's bloodied past, which still evokes pain and anguish in equal measure. He ran for his life from Pakistan after watching his parents and siblings being killed in post-partition riots. Once in India, he ran to live. In between, he had a roller-coaster ride. At the refugee camp, he indulged in petty crimes and was put behind bars. It was only after three unsuccessful attempts that he finally made it to the Indian Army. It was in the army that Milkha's dreams of running competitively grew wings. That said, he was largely a self-made man. He not only made light of the obvious obstacles strewn in the path of an Indian athlete of that era, but also overcame great personal tragedy to inspire many Indians to take up the sport.
For an Indian, Milkha's feats were unthinkable at the time. While his exploits in Europe, and at the Asian and the Commonwealth Games— where he breezed to golds— were exceptional, his fourth-place finish at the 1960 Rome Olympics in the 400m race has at once been an enduring romance and a never-ending melancholy. Having entered the race as a strong favourite to finish in the top-three, he missed out on independent India's first athletic medal by one-hundredth of a second. Barring PT Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, who too lost out on a bronze by a whisker in the 400m hurdles, no other Indian athlete has come close to Milkha's Olympic exploits. While that does underline the greatness of an individual who excelled despite the system, it is also a sad commentary on the dismal state of Indian athletics even after so many years. Only six quarter-milers have bettered Milkha's Olympic mark of 45.73 seconds, but not one has been able to replicate his performance at the grandest sporting meet. Missing out on an Olympic medal tormented Milkha throughout his life, as it still does for all Indians. By way of tribute, India owes it to the Flying Sikh to break its medal duck in Tokyo next month.