Essay on Milkha Singh | Essays for Class 7 PDF Download

He was born on 20th November, 1929 according to records in Pakistan. Other official records mention his date of birth as 17th October, 1935 and 20th November, 1935. His birthplace was Govindpura a village 10 kilometres from Muzaffargarh district, now in Pakistan.
He had a horrendous childhood, because he saw his parents and relatives being hacked to death in front of his own eyes during partition. The 12 years old ran for his life, and hid himself among dead bodies in the train, to reach India. Though he got a new lease of life, but he was left all alone to fend for himself.He tried to get into the army thrice, but failed. Finally, his brother Malkhan Singh got him into the Electrical Mechanical Engineering branch of the Army in 1952. In the Arnjy, under the mentoring of Havaldar Gurudev Singh, he began practising hard as an athlete. In the Services Meet of 1955, he stood 2nd in the 200 m and 400 m races.
He won in both events at National Games 1956. In 1958 games, he broke the existing records. In 1960, he timed 46.1 seconds in 400 m, which was considered to be a world class performance of that time.
Milkha represented the country in Melbourne Olympics of 1956. Although he did not do particularly well, he got to learn a lot and prepared for future events. The golden period of his career came between 1958 and 1960. He won gold in both events at the Asian Games in 1958.The Olympic Games at Rome in 1960 were momentous. In the first heat of 400 m race, he finished second. In the second heat, he again stood second. However, in the final round, he went cruising ahead of all competitors, right from the word ‘Go’. But unfortunately, due to slowing down his speed a bit in the middle, cost him the coveted Olympic medal.
Even the announcement was held up for few minutes, owing to the confusion over the close finish. Milkha lost by a mere 0.1 seconds, the closest brush for an Indian athlete with the Olympic medal till date. In 1962, Milkha Singh defeated Pakistani runner Abdul Khaliq. It was then that the Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan named him the ‘Flying Sikh’. He was bestowed upon the Arjuna Award and, Padma Shri in 1958. A film, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ in 201 3, showcased his life and achievements.
Currently, he is campaigning for the cause of two Indian basketball players, Amarpal and Amjyot Singh, who were asked to remove their turbans, by International Basketball Federation. He believes that his faith and religion played a big role in his successful career. Hence, such kind of humiliation is not acceptable for any sportsperson. Milkha is a living legend.
Few can match his zest for life. Even today he follows a rigorous routine, starting with early morning jogs. His life teaches us that despite of all the miseries fate may inflict upon you, you can carve out your own destiny with your sincerity and hard work.