“Let not people say you are Milkha’s son. Let them say I am Jeev’s father” those are the words of encouragement Milkha Singh gave to his son when the child Jeev started the career in Golf. Unlike athletics, which almost ceases after 30, Jeev wanted a career which can be played for more time. Surprising is it went unnoticed for many that, Jeev’s mother Nirmal too was the captain of Indian volleyball team.
In the teenage days, I had read about Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh. His will power on practicing bare feet
and his failure (success of breaking a world record) at Rome Olympics by distance of 0.1 second for a bronze is still having lessons for Indian youth. Those times stories inspired me to be at least as an athlete, hence active in sports, enough for a shy guy. To me among all the sportsmen & athletes, he deserves a fine place.
Still on athletics circuit, the father is unsatisfied as he wants to witness an Indian athlete winning an Olympic Gold Medal.
His golfer son, Jeev’s fourth feat in a year, after clinching Nippon Series proved himself icon in Indian golf circuit. Today Jeev is in top 50 in the world golf ranking. Among lakhs of Indians, I too was waiting for this day as Milkha couples must have waited.
May be like almost all parents, Milkha’s wanted to see their dreams come true from their children, if they could partially fulfill them. The talent becomes rewarding when parents recognizes them and provide them abundant opportunity to grow. Wonderful is that, Mikha’s name as well winning attitude of parents is intact with Jeev’s personality.
Though Golf is not a common man’s sport in India, but the respect, money and ultimate satisfaction of hard work, Jeev acquired, and still is to achieve, is really brilliant.
The only thing in such Indians undefeatable is the attitude !