Quotes from Milkha Singh

I tried to join the army two or three times.

A child, when orphaned, can become anything. If I had not joined the Army, who knows, I may have become a dacoit. I give all credit to the Army; they found Milkha Singh.

I could have joined politics during Nehru's or Indira Gandhi's time. I don't want to. I stay away from these things.

I had joined the army as a sepoy in 1951.

Yes, I started by running barefoot. My feet used to slip in canvas shoes. So we put them aside and ran barefoot.

I am fit at 88 years of age. I do yoga and also go jogging 2-3 times which has kept me fit and healthy even at this ripe age in which many people keep seeing doctors.

Do yoga and exercises daily even if it is for a few minutes only and results would appear in a few days only.

The first time I ever wore a shoe was in 1955 during the trials for the Melbourne Olympics.

If anyone has it in him to work hard, he can rise from the earth and touch the sky.

Whether it be a sage or a king, all have been borne by women.

As long as you remain true to yourself and continue training with sincerity, nobody can stop you from achieving excellence.

In the Army, I was running for India and I was a soldier who could have died for India.

Milkha Singh is living his last days. An earthen lamp's glow is brightest towards the end, in the same manner I am humbled by the kind of love and respect being showered on me at this age.

Rome rankles. It will always. I missed a certain medal.

I believe there is no dearth of talent in India. But what's missing is the ability to work hard.

If today any athlete were to put in as much effort as Milkha Singh did, he can conquer the universe and his record will remain unbroken for at least 100 years.

The fact is that children get spoiled in bad company.

I have only seen movies of my generation - 'Mother India,' 'Shree 420,' 'Awaara.' Those days, we had actors such as Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar.

Athletics is the mother of all sport and every child must try out it once during his school days.

I want to tell people that they should always try to stay calm and speak good things, have control over food by adopting healthy food habits, eat less food and exercise daily.

My stomach hurts at times, my back is always a problem, and my eyesight is not good. But I still jog every day.

You must understand that to get an Olympic medal is a huge achievement.

Sports authority should hire coaches only on contract basis in athletics and also in other games. The coaches should be told to produce medals in upcoming Olympic Games. Only then will they work day and night and push sportsmen and women to work harder.

Gold slipped from my hand at the Rome Olympics and then from P.T. Usha at the Los Angeles Olympics. But it is my dream to see a boy or girl from India winning gold in the Olympics before my death.