Part 6
Milkha’s introduction to athletics

Remembering 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh 

From the archives of Milkha's little-known autobiography: Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh, which was published first in Punjabi in 1970 and later translated into Hindi in 1977 and in English in early 80s, we are bringing you the life of legendary athlete from witnessing tragedy, deprivation, survival against all odds and victory in the face of loss. The pre-partition and post-partition era.

Flashback - Part 6

Milkha’s introduction to athletics

From Srinagar, Milkha was sent to EME (Electrical Mechanical Engineering) unit of the Indian army at Secunderabad. It was a Saturday night in January 1953, when it was announced during a line-up that the next day there was going to be held a six-mile (approximately 10 km) cross-country race. Each soldier was to run in military boots with bags mounted on the back. The catch was that out of a total of 500 soldiers, the top 10 finishers would be exempted from duty. “I spent the entire night thinking about the next day’s race, because for me, this was the only way to get rid of the long and exhausting daily duty,” smiles Milkha, the memory still fresh in his mind. “While running, I was feeling tired but the thought of not doing the daily duty got me moving and I finished sixth,” he writes. 

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