ABOUT MILKHA SINGH
Track and field star who competed in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Rome, and Tokyo, respectively. He received the Padma Shri, a high civilian honor in India, for his sports achievements. He co-wrote an autobiography about his racing success.
He joined the Indian Army in 1951, and was introduced to track and field while stationed at the Electrical Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secunderabad.
He won four gold medals in the Asian Games, with two coming in 1958 in Tokyo, and two more in 1962 in Jakarta, and gained the nickname "The Flying Sikh." He passed away from COVID-19 at the age of 91.
He married volleyball player Nirmal Kaur, and together they raised five children.
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru helped persuade him to compete in a 1960 race.
