Indian legendary athlete Mirha Singh died of new crown pneumonia within one week after his wife Corona died
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New Delhi: Indian media said on Friday that Mirha Singh is one of India’s most successful track and field athletes. She overcame a childhood tragedy and sought Olympic glory and died at the age of 91 after a long battle with Covid-19.
After the news broke on Friday night, social media paid tribute to the athlete known as the “flying Sikh”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he felt “painful about the news.” “.
Modi wrote: “(W)e lost a great athlete. He captured the imagination of the country and held a special place in the hearts of countless Indians. His inspirational personality was loved by millions. .”
“Dad just passed away,” Singh’s son, Jeev Milkha Singh (Jeev Milkha Singh) told the Indian Express, who is also a professional golfer himself.
According to Express News, Singh tested positive for the virus for the first time on May 20. The newspaper said his wife Nirmal Kaur also died of the virus earlier this week.
Singh was born in Govindpura in 1929, which is now Pakistan.
He lost his family during the turbulent division of British-ruled India at the time of independence in 1947, when India split into Pakistan and India, and later became one of the first sports heroes of this young country.
Singh won gold medals at the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games.
However, he became famous at the 1960 Rome Olympics, when he finished fourth in the 400 meters because he needed to complete the photo to decide the winner.
His 45.73 seconds is India’s national record for nearly 40 years. But the devastated Singh never realized his dream of winning an Olympic medal.
He became an elite athlete, made Singh a national hero, and inspired the 2013 Bollywood movie called “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” (Running, Milha, Running).
The name of the movie refers to the poignant last words that Singh’s father said to Singh. When he was about to die, he told Singh to escape, otherwise he would also be killed in the post-divorce riots that swept through the subcontinent.
It is believed that millions of people died in bloody sectarian upheavals.
Singh escaped and boarded the train with other refugees.
“We all grew up in Mirka’s folklore, and he is an otherworldly figure to us,” said the film’s director, Rakeysh Mehra, in 2013.
“He is like Pele’s meaning to football, or Jesse Owens’s meaning to Western Athletics.”
Mehra was attracted to Singh’s story not only because of his athletic achievements, but also because of the athlete’s influence on a nascent country struggling to defend himself, describing him as one of the first heroes outside of the country’s politics. .
“This man has never escaped his fear, he ran with them,” he said at the time.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, people continued to mourn on Indian social media.
Indian tennis star Sania Mirza said on Twitter: “I have the honor to meet you, you have blessed me many times… the kindest and warmest RIP Mr. Mirha Singh… the world will miss A legend like you.”
“A hero, an inspiration, a legend. His legacy will be passed on from generation to generation. Rest in peace, Mr. Milha Singh,” said Twitter cricketer Jasprit Bumrah.
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