The Flying Sikh Milkha Singh passed away on Saturday 19, 2021 in India after contracting Covid-19. The 91-year-old is a legend in India after making sporting history and he is still remembered as one of the most celebrated figures in Indian sports.
Milkha Singh was unstoppable in his prime and he even broke multiple records during his time as a professional athelete. He was also first Indian to clinch a Commonwealth Games gold in track and field events.
The world however came to know of his story in more detail after Bollywood director Rakesh Omprakash Mehra made biopic ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag. The movie follows Milkha SIngh’s life as a young man and pre and post-Independence India.
However, in a scene that was dramatized in the movie, Milkha cemented himself in the hearts and minds of Indians everywhere after he first ran in 1958 Tokyo games, where he won gold in 200 meters. At a time when both India and Pakistan were still dealing with the aftermath of the partition and post-independence issues, he had a mighty rivalry with Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq.
In 1958, when Milkha Singh first participated in the games, Abdul Khaliq was Asia’s fastest runner in the 100-meter event. This was the first time when Milkha and Khaliq met each other and from there on the rivalry between both the athletes started to gain momentum.
The first time when Milkha met Khaliq who was known as Asia’s fastest runner, he invited the Indian athletes to watch his 200 meter race.
TheBridge.in writes, “During that meet, Khaliq had said that he doesn’t know how many athletes like Milkha has he defeated and there was no contest between both of them. The very next day Milkha went onto win gold in 400m. Khaliq had won gold in 100m and also went onto break Indian athlete Levi Pinto’s record in the games and create new Asian record on his name. The very next day Khaliq had to take part in the 200 m final. The event had athletes from 6 different countries, but Milkha and Khaliq were favourites to win the title. The next day when the race began Milkha and Khaliq were running neck to neck in the first 100m, but it was Milkha who overtook Khaliq in the final stretch to win the gold, but the final decision came after a long delay by the judges.”
In 1960 Milkha went onto beat Khaliq in Lahore after which Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister field marshal Ayub Khan gave him the name ‘Flying Sikh’.
President Ayub Khan had organised an Indo-Pak Meet in 1960 in Lahore where Milkha Singh defeated Khaliq who had beaten the Indian more than once in international races.
1958 : Milkha Singh Defeating Abdul Khaliq of Pakistan In 200 Meter Race to Win Gold Medal In Tokyo Asian Games .
In 1958 Abdul Khaliq Was The Fastest Man In Asia pic.twitter.com/ey5HQddWdl
— Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) November 20, 2019
“I respect Milkha Singh a lot as he is a great human being…. I was pained watching the movie,” dawn.com quoted Abdul Malik, Khaliq’s younger brother, who was with his elder brother at every race of his, as saying.
Be it the Asian Games of 1954 in Manila and in Tokyo 1958 or the first Indo-Pak Meet in 1956 in New Delhi, Khaliq not only grabbed the gold medal but also set new records.
Khaliq’s incredible run in Manila, setting a meet new record in 10.6 seconds made chief guest, then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru call him the Flying Bird of Asia’.
