Sports in India lost one of its all-time heroes as legendary sprinter Milkha Singh passed away last night (18 June, 2021) in Chandigarh after a month-long battle with COVID. Not many people know that Odisha occupies a bright spot in the illustrious carreer of Milkha Singh.

The Olympian hit the headlines during his first visited to Odisha in 1958. Competing in the 18th National Games at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, Milkha bagged a magnificent double by winning both the 200m and 400m gold medals with new National Records. In the same year he put Indian athletics on the world map by winning the 400m gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

After creating the 400m National Record at the Cuttack National Games, Milkha could not believe his achievement and spent the night without sleep. He though the Barabati track was small in size. Next morning he went to the stadium with a tape and measured the track. He became relieved after finding the length of the track as 400m.

There was no stopping the ‘Flying Singh’ thereafter, who went on to win gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. The Padma awardee had then regretted missing out on a medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, where he finished fourth, and his wish to see India win gold in athletics in the Olympics also remained unfullfilled.

Milkha last visited Odisha in 2016 to attend the ‘Eklavya Puraskar’ function organised by ImPACT, the charitable wing of IMFA Group. During the function in Bhubaneswar, he presented the 24th Award to woman Olympic sprinter Srabani Nanda on November 2. He also spared time to visit Barabati Stadium after 58 years.