Recently, I watched a fantastic Bollywood sports biography called "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag," or "Run Milkha Run." This true story is about an Indian champion runner, Milkha Singh, who faced many struggles as a child. For example, he lived in present-day Pakistan, but in 1947 India and Pakistan got divided into two separate countries. Hindus had no choice but to live in India, and Muslims resided in Pakistan. As Milkha was a Hindu, he went to India, and in his journey there, his whole family except his sister got gruesomely killed by Pakistani soldiers. His father's last meaningful words were "Bhaag, Milkha, bhaag." Even though he faced this tragedy, Milkha participated in a race set in Pakistan towards the end of his career, and there he won a gold medal. Over there, he was given the name of "The Flying Sikh" by the president of Pakistan. Milkha started his running career in the army, where he got abused by senior players and overcame conflicts before he broke the national record. In the eve of his big race, after Milkha got physically assaulted in areas of his leg, he ran bare feet with his injury. In spite of his coach warning him that his leg could get permanently damaged, Milkha insisted to run. However, even with this leg injury, he stayed strong and he trained with several coaches such as Gurudev Singh and Ranveer Singh. And finally, after this magnificent amount of hard work, Milkha overcame battles and won international races around the whole globe. For instance, he won his first race with a gold medal at 400 meters. At later years, he continued his success at the Asian Games and Summer Olympics. Although Milkha Singh's incredible story was set in the 1950s and 60s, he is still known today not only for his athletic ability, but for his determination, power, and persistence. Moreover, he is known for pride in his country, India. At Milkha's last race in the Rome Olympics, he was leading and suddenly he looked back for whatever reason. Later, it was known that all four participants broke the international record. Milkha is famous in India for becoming a great athlete in a newly independent country. In spite of his humble personality, Milkha Singh brings pride and faith to India today.
Citation for Image:
"Milkha Singh." Http://upload.wikimedia.org. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 17 July 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Milkha_Singh.jpg/220px-Milkha_Singh.jpg>.
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