"Milkha Singh was an inspiration to me and generations of Indian athletes" - former ace sprinter Rajeev Balakrishnan

India’s fastest runner in the 1990’s, Rajeev Balakrishnan, paid tribute to Milkha Singh. The ace sprinter said that the "Flying Sikh" was an inspiration to him and multiple generations of Indian athletes.

Rajeev Balarkishnan competed in the men’s 4×100 meters relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was considered India's fastest runner for quite a while.

The legendary Mikha Singh, who passed away at the age of 91 on Saturday, had a special bond with Rajeev Balakrishnan. Milkha Singh was a massive inspiration for the development of Rajeev Balakrishnan’s career.

At the 12th Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, Rajeev Balakrishnan could not deliver his best performance and was feeling quite dejected. Milkha Singh then spoke to Rajeev Balakrishnan and boosted his morale with his inspiring words.

“My memory of him is how he reached out to me when I was at a low point after not performing to my expectations at the 1994 Asian Games. He spoke to me and told me to keep working hard and trying my best. It is always easier to talk to an athlete when they are performing well but it takes a special person to be able to be there to console, encourage and help to rebuild someone when they are at a low,” said Rajeev Balakrishnan.

The 50-year-old Rajeev Balakrishnan has now settled in Australia and lives with his family in Brisbane. When he found out about the demise of Milkha Singh on Saturday morning, he was saddened and termed it a personal loss.

“It is indeed a great personal loss for me. Every time I met him, he remembered our previous conversations and would ask about my training and my general wellbeing. He genuinely cared about my athletics and about me as a person."

Milkha Singh

Balakrishnan considers himself to be among the few lucky athletes to have been inspired by Milkha Singh.

"Milka Singh was an inspiration to me and generations of Indian athletes. I am lucky and privileged to have met and known such an amazing legend,” said Rajeev Balakrishnan, who won five gold medals at the National Games in 1994.

Before Kerala’s Anil Kumar Prakash burst onto the national scene around 2003, Rajeev Balakrishnan was indisputably the fastest Indian sprinter. At the height of Balakrishnan’s prowess, Milkha Singh believed that the former would go on to break his 200m record.

Balakrishnan, who was born in Nagpur in 1971, clocked his personal best of 21.44 seconds in 200 meters on June 10, 2000 at Long Beach, CA (USA) but was unable to break Singh’s mark.

Balakrishnan, who was based in the United States for the better part of his career, clocked his best time of 10.32 seconds in the 100m dash at Long Beach in the Stanford Invitational competition in 2000. His best timing in 100m in India was 10.40 seconds when he achieved it in Bengaluru on July 5, 2000.

Recalling his first meeting with Milkha Singh, Balakrishnan said the legend advised him to concentrate on one event instead of competing in multiple events. Balakrishnan said:

“I met him for the first time after Pune's National Games in 1994 and he had encouraging words about my technique and ability to compete. I used to compete in multiple events and his suggestion was that I should focus on one of them so that I could accomplish more at the international level. All my interactions with him and his suggestions were geared towards encouraging me and making me a better athlete.”

'I tried my best to break Milkha Singh’s 400m record but could not do it': Balakrishnan

Balakrishnan admitted that he tried his best but could not break Milkha Singh’s long-standing national record of 400 meters.

“Though I attempted to do my best, but honestly, I was not even close to what this great sprinter accomplished,” reasoned Balakrishnan, who is the brother-in-law of former Indian tennis star Nirupama Vaidyanathan.

After graduating in engineering, Balakrishnan went to the US to pursue a masters degree. Even after finishing his MS, he stayed back in the US for his athletics training.

Balakrishnan believes the contribution of Milkha Singh to Indian athletics is a legacy that will remain unmatched.

“He was an icon for Indian athletics and an inspirational role model for all athletes. His contribution to Indian athletics is immeasurable since he inspired athletes of all levels to compete to the best of their abilities. His achievements at the world level gave Indian athletes hope that they could strive for the same,” said Balakrishnan.

Balakrishnan admired the way Milkha Singh produced amazing results with limited resources and called him an icon for all the Indian athletes.

“Having had the opportunity to compete at the international level, I realize how hard it is to achieve what he accomplished with the limited resources that were available at his time. His achievements have still stood the test of time and we are still striving to come close to them,” said Balakrishnan.

Saluting Milkha Singh for his phenomenal achievements, Balakrishnan urged the Indian youngsters to take inspiration from the legend.

“Milkha Singh was an exceptional role model and had inspiring words for the younger generation. He cared for Indian athletics and always wanted someone to achieve more than he did at the Olympics,” said Balakrishnan.

Milkha Singh may have left us for a greater journey but the legacy of the 'Flying Sikh' is here to stay forever.