Suppose that you get a chance to interveiw Milkha Singh. Which 5 questions will you like to ask him.
Answers
I would ask
How was life during partition?
Were you as fast as you are from childhood?
Did you recieve any formal education?
What do you do to stay fit?
Where did your first race take place
Answer:
1. How did you get into athletics?
I was born in Govindapura village in Pakistan which was far away from any city. I was good at cross country running and everyone in the Army was impressed with my abilities. The encouragement from the Army motivated me to take running seriously. The whole credit for my success goes to the Army, as they helped me hone my skills.
2. What was the biggest source of motivation for you throughout your career?
I have always believed in myself and in hard work; I firmly believe that hard work never fails. I used to train for 7 hours everyday; I sometimes felt that I would drop dead while training. There have been times when I was put on oxygen in the hospital as I would occasionally faint after training. All I knew was that there would be no stopping me once I started running.
3. You missed the medal at the Rome Olympics due to an error of judgement. Do you regret that?
That unfortunate incident haunts me till today; I will never be able to forget it. Before participating in the Olympics, I had won 77 out of 80 races in the world and the world had faith that I would win the gold in the Rome Olympics. But unfortunately I couldn’t. I did break the Olympics record though. It’s my wish to watch an Indian win a gold medal at the Olympics while I am alive; if that happens, I will die in peace.
4. Who exactly gave you the nickname of “The Flying Sikh”?
The nickname was given to me by General Ayub of Pakistan. He told me he was my fan as I had defeated his favourite Abdul Khaliq. I went to Lahore as Jawaharlal Nehru insisted I go there, and children were standing with Indian and Pakistan flags throughout Wagah border, calling out my name. I felt proud to have received the title in spite of what I had gone through earlier in Pakistan.
5. A movie based on your life will soon be hitting the theatres. What are your thoughts about that?
Yes, the movie is called “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” and it is based on my life from childhood up to this point. I would like all the youngsters to watch it and learn how I achieved whatever I have through sheer hard work and will power. I want youngsters to get inspired by it so that we can have thousands of Milkha Singhs in India.