Milkha Singh Major Medals and Results
| Year | Competition | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Olympic Games, Melbourne | Heats | 200 m, 400 m |
| 1958 | National Games, Cuttack | 2 gold (national records) | 200 m, 400 m |
| 1958 | Asian Games, Tokyo | 2 gold | 200 m, 400 m |
| 1958 | Commonwealth Games, Cardiff | Gold | 440 yards, 46.6 s |
| 1960 | AAA Championships, London | Champion | 440 yards |
| 1960 | Olympic Games, Rome | 4th | 400 m, 45.73 s |
| 1962 | Asian Games, Jakarta | 2 gold | 400 m, 4×400 m relay |
| 1964 | National Games, Calcutta | Silver | 400 m |
| 1964 | Olympic Games, Tokyo | Heats | 4×400 m relay |
Milkha Singh Career Journey
1958: The Golden Year
In 1958 he set national records in the 200 m and 400 m at the National Games in Cuttack, then won both events at the Asian Games in Tokyo. Later that year he took gold in the 440 yards at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 46.6 seconds, the first Commonwealth gold won by independent India. The army promoted him from sepoy to junior commissioned officer in recognition.
1960: Lahore, the Flying Sikh and Rome
In 1960 Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru persuaded him to set aside painful memories of Partition and race in Pakistan against Abdul Khaliq, Asia’s top sprinter. Milkha won, and Pakistan’s leader General Ayub Khan remarked that he had not run but flown, giving him the name the Flying Sikh. That summer he also won the British AAA title.
At the Rome Olympics he went into the 400 m final as a medal contender. He led through the first half, then eased off around the 250 m mark, worried he could not hold the pace, and glanced at his rivals. Three runners passed him and he finished fourth in a photo finish. His time, hand-timed at 45.6 and electronically at 45.73 seconds, beat the old Olympic record, but the first four all broke it that day. He later called it his worst memory. The mark stood as India’s national record until Paramjit Singh broke it in 1998.
1962 to 1964: Final Years on the Track
At the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta he won gold in the 400 m and helped India to gold in the 4×400 m relay. His final Olympics came in Tokyo in 1964, where India’s 4×400 m relay team went out in the heats. That year he also lost a 400 m race at the National Games to Makhan Singh.
Milkha Singh Records and Milestones
- First Commonwealth Games gold for independent India (Cardiff 1958).
- Only Indian man with an individual Commonwealth athletics gold until Vikas Gowda in 2014.
- First Indian to win 400 m gold at both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
- Four Asian Games golds across 1958 and 1962.
- 400 m national record of 45.73 s from Rome 1960, unbroken for 38 years.
- Represented India at three Olympics: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964.
Milkha Singh Awards and Honours
- Padma Shri (1959)
- Helms World Trophy for Asia (1959)
- Bharat Gaurav Award (2016)
- Wax statue by Madame Tussauds, unveiled in 2017 and displayed in New Delhi
- Declined the Arjuna Award in 2001, arguing it was meant for young athletes and had lost its value
