3 . For a number of Indians who for over half a century have replayed a race again and again, Milkha Singh's 400 metres final run at the Rome Olympics should be among the greatest heartbreaks in global sporting history. In fact, they hoped it would throw up a different result.
However, continued praise for the man decades later is due to the effort by India's greatest track athlete on that September day in the Italian capital, though he still missed out on becoming India's first Olympic track medallist.
As he was growing up, he used to run barefoot daily on hot sand to school, which was situated 20 kilometres from his house. He thinks this was good training but knows it is not possible to ask children to do this today. However, he does feel that the early identification of talented athletes is also important for India's athletic teams to shine.
India has in the last few years judged success purely in terms of medals, but looking into the past reveals how a more generous generation saluted Milkha as a pioneer. Milkha is India's finest track athlete of all time. He remains the only Indian male to win an individual Commonwealth Games athletics gold—he won the 400 metres at Cardiff in 1958，the first athlete from independent India to do so.
Since retiring from athletics, the former champion athlete has set up the Milkha Singh Charitable Trust, which helps poorer families survive if an athlete in their family has died. A percentage of the profits from the film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag are going to his trust.
Finally, let's read a quote from Milkha himself: “There is no shortcut to success.” A scene in the film shows Milkha Singh running with injured feet—this actually happened. “I haven't found an alternative to hard work. You need to be patient, dedicated and true to yourself and your work.”
1. What has won Milkha Singh continued praise?
| A．His early hard life experience. | B．His outstanding athletic talent. |
| C．His status in global sports history. | D．His effort to win an Olympic medal. |
2. What does Milkha Singh think of his early training?
| A．Exciting. | B．Unbearable. | C．Beneficial. | D．Useless. |
3. What did Milkha Singh do after his retirement?
| A．He turned into a movie actor. | B．He learned to do business. |
| C．He became an athletic trainer. | D．He engaged in charity work. |
4. What can we learn from Milkha Singh's words?
| A．Hard work leads to success. | B．Do something different. |
| C．Medals measure everything. | D．Stick to your dream. |
