Milkha Singh: Full of life, and a heart of gold

Milkha Singh sounded like a teenager while narrating his and Betty Cuthbert’s love story.

Betty was an Australian athlete. She was known as ''the golden girl''. The duo first met while practising for the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Milkha’s turban had caught her attention. "Betty had never seen a turban before. The next day she came to me and asked if I could tie a turban on her head.’’ Milkha took her to his room and tied a blue turban on her head.

Milkha shared with me this love story when I met him at his home in Chandigarh, after chasing him for several years.

Milkha was surrounded by fans, young and old, when I first met him in Bengaluru. Everyone in the audience was jostling each other to get a better view of the much loved sprinter who is remembered and celebrated not just for what he achieved but also for what he could not. I imagined the crowd waning and me sitting next to him doing the interview. But, to my dismay, it kept getting bigger and bigger.

Milkha gave a pep talk, emphasising the importance of hard work and determination. Chase your dream, no matter what, he said. His words kept resonating in my mind and I waited by his cab, hours before he was scheduled to leave. All the universe conspired and Milkha said I could accompany him to the airport and do the interview.

The interview went well. We met again at his home in Chandigarh. The black and white photographs that adorned his wall gave me goose bumps. They took me to stadiums of Rome, Melbourne and Tokyo where the flying Singh flew into the hearts of millions.

Accompanied by his dogs Tiger and Goofey, Milkha looked full of life. He had just got back home after a workout. He exuded camaraderie and made Sanjay Ahlawat, our photographer, and me feel at home. “My fitness mantra was simple. Eat less and work out regularly. Exercise is a must for everyone,” he said.

Milkha shared fond memories of playing golf with Mammen Mathew, chief editor and managing editor of Malayala Manorama. " I’ve relations with Malayala Manorama since a very long time,’’ he said.

Milkha's home in Chandigarh was abuzz with birds. Amid bird calls and songs from the backyard, he spoke about the odds he fought in life. He was 88 when we met him. You hardly expect scintillating conversation from a man that age, but Milkha was different.

What happened in the Rome Olympics, where he missed out on the bronze medal by a whisker. "I was leading the race. Suddenly, I felt I was running too fast and so I slowed down. I regret it a lot,’’ he said.

He had a heart of gold. Besides his four children, Milkha had an adopted son. When Havildar Bikram Singh, who fought in the Kargil war was killed, Milkha adopted his son Manjit. " My children were very happy when this child was brought home,’’ he recalled.

Milkha won 77 of the 80 races he ran. He broke the world record first in 1960.

It was a life well spent. Sleep well, Milkha.