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After a month of battling COVID-19, legendary sprinter Milkha Singh passed away on Friday, 18 June, at the age of 91, his family said in a statement. Singh breathed his last in Chandigarh’s Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where he was receiving treatment after being exposed to the virus on 19 May.

   Singh passed away at 11.30 pm on Friday, just days after his wife Nirmal Kaur, too, lost the battle to COVID-19 on 13 June. While the family is yet to come to terms with the passing away of Milkha Singh's wife, 85-year-old Nirmal Kaur, who succumbed to Covid-related complications at a private hospital in Mohali on Sunday, the legendary athlete lost a valiant battle after developing fever and a dip in oxygen saturation level from Thursday night in the medical ICU of the PGI hospital.

Milkha Singh

Milkha Singh (born 1929 Govindpura, Pakistan )also known as Flying Sikh,was an Indian former track and field sprinter who was introduced to sport while serving in the Indian Army. He is the only athlete to win Gold in the 400m at the Asian Games as well the Commonwealth Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements.

The race for which Singh was best remembered is his fourth-place finish in the 400 metres final at the 1960 Olympic Games, which he had entered as one of the favourites. Various records were broken in the race, which required a photo-finish and saw American Otis Davis being declared the winner by one-hundredth of a second over German Carl Kaufmann. Singh's fourth-place time of 45.73 seconds was the Indian national record for almost 40 years.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ,Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan  tweeted condolences at the passing away of  Milkha Singh

The passing of sporting icon Milkha Singh fills my heart with grief. The story of his struggles and strength of character will continue to inspire generations of Indians. My deepest condolences to his family members, and countless admirers.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 18, 2021

 

I had spoken to Shri Milkha Singh Ji just a few days ago. Little did I know that it would be our last conversation. Several budding athletes will derive strength from his life journey. My condolences to his family and many admirers all over the world.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2021

Upset and saddened to hear of Milkha Singh Ji’s demise. It marks the end of an era and India & Punjab are poorer today. My condolences to the bereaved family & millions of fans. The legend of the Flying Sikh will reverberate for generations to come. Rest in peace Sir! pic.twitter.com/7yK8EOHUnS

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) June 18, 2021

Milkha Singh was a pioneer in bringing Indian athletics to the global stage. His tenacity on and off the track will continue to inspire the nation. In his demise, India has lost an illustrious son. Kerala pays our respects to the legend. pic.twitter.com/yWBjGpmcKf

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) June 19, 2021