It was the race of his life however on the finish of it, Milkha Singh was simply “troubled”.
The 91-year-old ‘Flying Sikh’, who died on Friday after battling COVID-related issues in Chandigarh, was anticipated to climb to the best stage on the 1960 Rome Olympics however missed the rostrum by 0.1 seconds, leaving an unforgettable coronary heart. The ache they did for the remainder of your life.
Hurdler Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Milkha’s 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games companion and one of many few surviving athletes to have personally witnessed the memorable 400m race, vividly remembers the way it was all constructed within the Italian capital.
“I was there a lot, the entire Indian contingent was there in anticipation of history being made. Everyone was expecting a medal from him. Everyone was waiting with bated breath (for the race),” the 82-year-old recalled in an interplay with PTI. did.
“He was in top form, his time was one of the best in the world at the time. Gold or silver was difficult for him but everyone was sure that he would at least win bronze. He was capable of it,” he mentioned.
But Milkha missed out on bronze with a time of 45.6 seconds, 0.1 seconds greater than South Africa’s third-place finisher Malcolm Spence, whom he beat to win gold on the 1958 Commonwealth Games.
“The entire Indian contingent was stunned, speechless. Milkha Singh was distraught,” Randhawa mentioned.
“We noticed him main from 200m to 250m mark, however after that he decided making error and slowed down a bit. This value him a sure bronze medal.”
Milkha had competed in among the prime races in Europe previous to the Rome Olympics and had overwhelmed all the highest runners of the time, besides the American Otis Davis, the eventual gold winner on the Rome Games.
Davis and Germany’s silver winner Karl Kaufmann got the identical time of 44.9 in a photograph end, whereas Spence was given a time of 45.5 seconds.
Of these, solely Davis is now alive. While Kaufman died in 2008, Spence handed away in 2010.
Milkha was laid low with that reminiscence, one in all solely two incidents in his life that he described as unforgettable – the opposite was the homicide of his mother and father in entrance of him in Pakistan throughout Partition.
Milkha was a strict disciplinarian and his almost 10 years of life within the Indian Army contributed immensely in making him a health passionate athlete.
“During the 1962 Asian Games and the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, some of us used to roam around but Milkha did not. He used to train, eat proper food and take proper rest. He was very particular about his diet,” recalled Randhawa.
“May have something to do with his army background. His self-discipline and ability to work hard are unmatched and that is why he is the greatest Indian athlete of all time,” mentioned the present choice committee chairman of the Athletics Federation of India.
Randhawa, himself a monitor legend with a fifth place within the 1964 Olympics 100m hurdles, referred to as Milkha incomparable.
There is not any comparability with him,” mentioned Randhawa.
“We also participated in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and the 1962 Asian Games together. I was deeply saddened and emotional to hear the news of his death,” mentioned the veteran, who gained a gold medal on the 1962 Asian Games in decathlon, battling with feelings.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
