NEW DELHI (India): Milkha Singh, one of India’s most successful track athletes who overcame childhood tragedy to seek Olympic glory, has died aged 91 after a long battle with Covid-19 on Friday.
Tributes to the athlete known as the “Flying Sikh” poured in on social media after the news broke late Friday.
“Had the honour of meeting you and you blessed me so many times .. the kindest and warmest RIP Milkha Singh sir .. the world will miss a legend like you .. #MilkhaSingh,” tweeted India tennis star Sania Mirza.
Singh had first tested positive for the virus on May 20, the Express reported. His wife Nirmal Kaur also died of the virus earlier this week, the newspaper said.
Singh was born in 1929 in Govindpura, in what is now Pakistan.
He lost his family during the tumultuous partition of British-ruled India at independence in 1947, when it was divided into Pakistan and India, before going on to become one of the young country’s first athletic heroes.
Singh won gold medals at the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.
However, he shot to fame at the 1960 Olympics in Rome when he finished fourth in the 400m after a photo-finish was required to decide the winner.
