Legendary
Indian
sprinter
Milkha
Singh,
also
known
as
the
'Flying
Sikh',
breathed
his
last
on
Friday
(June
18,
2021)
after
a
month-long
battle
with
COVID-19
at
the
age
of
91.
He
was
admitted
in
the
Intensive
Care
Unit
(ICU)
of
the
PGIMER
hospital
in
Chandigarh.
Five
days
before
his
death,
his
wife
Nirmal
had
also
passed
away
due
to
COVID-19
complications.
Milkha
Singh's
family
issued
a
statement
that
read,
"It
is
with
extreme
sadness
that
we
would
like
to
inform
you
that
Milkha
Singh
Ji
passed
away
at
11.30
pm
on
the
18th
of
June
2021.
He
fought
hard
but
God
has
his
ways
and
it
was
perhaps
true
love
and
companionship
that
both
our
mother
Nirmal
ji
and
now
Dad
have
passed
away
in
a
matter
of
5
days."
When
the
news
of
Milkha
Singh's
passing
broke
out
on
social
media,
many
Bollywood
stars
took
to
their
respective
social
media
handles
to
express
their
grief
over
this
sad
news.
Farhan
Akhtar
who
essayed
the
role
of
Milkha
Singh
in
the
latter's
biopic
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag
which
was
helmed
by
Rakeysh
Omprakash
Mehra
in
2013,
penned
an
emotional
tribute
for
him.
The
Dil
Dhadakne
Do
actor
took
to
his
Instagram
page
and
wrote,
"Dearest
Milkha
ji,
A
part
of
me
is
still
refusing
to
accept
that
you
are
no
more.
Maybe
it's
the
stubborn
side
I
inherited
from
you..
the
side
that
when
it
sets
it's
mind
on
something,
just
never
gives
up.
And
the
truth
is
that
you
will
always
be
alive.
Because
you
were
more
than
a
large
hearted,
loving,
warm,
down
to
earth
man.
You
represented
an
idea.
You
represented
a
dream.
You
represented
(to
use
your
own
words)
how
hard
work,
honesty
and
determination
can
lift
a
person
off
his
knees
and
get
him
to
touch
the
sky.
You
have
touched
all
our
lives.
For
those
who
knew
you
as
a
father
and
a
friend,
it
was
a
blessing.
For
those
who
didn't,
your
story
was
as
a
constant
source
of
inspiration
and
a
reminder
of
humility
in
success.
I
love
you
with
all
my
heart."
Akshay
Kumar
tweeted,
"Incredibly
sad
to
hear
about
the
demise
of
#MilkhaSingh
ji.
The
one
character
I
forever
regret
not
playing
on-screen!
May
you
have
a
golden
run
in
heaven,
Flying
Sikh.
Om
shanti,
Sir
🙏🏻."
Incredibly
sad
to
hear
about
the
demise
of
#MilkhaSingh
ji.
The
one
character
I
forever
regret
not
playing
on-screen!
May
you
have
a
golden
run
in
heaven,
Flying
Sikh.
Om
shanti,
Sir
🙏🏻
Raveena
Tandon
took
to
her
Twitter
handle
and
wrote,
"Had
the
honour
of
meeting
you
Sir,
you
will
always
have
a
special
place
in
all
our
hearts
!
Whenever
we
need
to
be
inspired,
"bhaag
milkhe
bhaag," will
resound
in
our
ears
!
Om
Shanti.
🙏🏼"
Had
the
honour
of
meeting
you
Sir,
you
will
always
have
a
special
place
in
all
our
hearts
!
Whenever
we
need
to
be
inspired,
“bhaag
milkhe
bhaag,”
will
resound
in
our
ears
!
Om
Shanti.
🙏🏼
https://t.co/UZC6chEQg8
Rahul
Bose's
tweet
read,
"What
a
sad
day
for
India,
what
a
sad
day
for
sport.
In
the
long
hours
I
spent
with
Milkha
Sir
I
was
always
struck
by
his
fierce
determination
and
his
even
fiercer
generosity.
An
inspiration,
period.
Rest
in
peace,
Sir.
We
mourn
deeply.
Love
to
@JeevMilkhaSingh
and
the
family".
What
a
sad
day
for
India,
what
a
sad
day
for
sport.
In
the
long
hours
I
spent
with
Milkha
Sir
I
was
always
struck
by
his
fierce
determination
and
his
even
fiercer
generosity.
An
inspiration,
period.
Rest
in
peace,
Sir.
We
mourn
deeply.
Love
to
@JeevMilkhaSingh
and
the
family.
Milkha
Singh
is
a
four-time
Asian
Games
gold
medallist
and
the
1958
Commonwealth
Games
champion
(440
yards
race
for
men),
but
his
greatest
performance
remains
the
fourth-place
finish
in
the
400m
final
of
the
1960
Rome
Olympics.
He
also
represented
India
in
the
1956
and
1964
Olympics.
He
was
conferred
the
Padma
Shri,
India's
fourth-highest
civilian
honour,
in
recognition
of
his
sporting
achievements
in
1959.