RIP Milkha Singh: Most memorable speeches of the 'Flying Sikh'

Besides being one of the best athletes India has ever produced, Milkha Singh had the remarkable ability to turn a phrase, candidly reflecting on his storied achievements and offering gems of wisdom to youngsters looking to follow in his footsteps.

Over the years, Singh had addressed a number of events and sat down for a couple of interviews, where he spoke on a variety of topics and gave viewers a sneak peek into the character and spirit of the 'Flying Sikh'.

Here are a few of his most memorable speeches and interviews:

‘Another Milkha Singh’

In 2016, Milkha Singh visited Nagpur as the chief guest for Maazee Metro Nagpur Marathon 2016 at LIT College, where he regaled his young listeners with anecdotes from his 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games gold-winning effort.

“I am saddened by the fact that even 60 years after I stopped running, we have not produced another Milkha Singh from 130 crore people,” he lamented in his speech. "Before I leave this world, I want to see the youth in this country lift the gold medal that slipped out of my hands in the Rome Olympics, fly the tricolour I could not fly and sing the national anthem that I failed to do.”

Singh gave all the credit for his fame and success to the Indian Army. He also recalled how he would run for six hours at a stretch until he vomited blood at times, but his will to break the world record kept him going.

He also spoke about how Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, ran to embrace him after he won gold at the 1958 Commonwealth Games.

'Credit success to the Army'

A rare interview of the Flying Sikh two years after his gut-wrenching 1960 Rome Olympics race, where he fell just short of clinching a bronze medal, shows Milkha Singh coaching young runners, playing badminton, swimming, hunting and spending time with his family.

In the interview, the talks about how it took him four attempts to join the Indian Army after his family came to India during the Partition. He expressed his gratitude to the Army for giving him the opportunity to run cross-country and identifying his talent.

He said the happiest moment in his life was when he won gold for India in the Commonwealth Games, followed by when he was recognised as a respected athlete by the United States and handed an award by the country.

Speaking about his 1960 Olympic effort, he disregarded the suggestion that he was sure to win a medal had he participated in the 200-metre event, refusing to make excuses after a loss. He said the next Indian who could replicate and even better his success on the international stage would need to be disciplined, hardworking and full of character.

‘Life is not written in the lines on our palms’

In a short speech at IIM Rohtak’s mini-marathon in 2013, Singh fondly talks about how he had been swamped with 200-300 letters a day after the release of the film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, based on his life.

Repeating his desire to see an Indian reach the heights of international athletics, Singh also recited an inspiring poem in Urdu: “Life is not written in the lines on our palms, we too have a big part to play in our destiny.”

The three times Milkha Singh wept

Milkha Singh was the chief guest at the StarsTell Astrology and Wellness Award 2019, where he touched upon a range of topics. In a particularly poignant bit, he talks about the horrors he saw during the Partition — the murder of his parents and siblings in front of his eyes. He says it was one of three times he had cried in his life.

He said the second time he cried was when he missed out on a medal at the Rome Olympics, talking about his disappointment and bad luck after a 15-year-long struggle to run faster.

Singh said the third and final time he cried was when a movie (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) was made on his life, where Farhan Akhtar played the leading role. He said he cried after watching the film, because it laid bare all his vices but was still worthy of inspiring the youth of the country to achieve great success.