Read the passage carefully and answer the question as per the content:
Milkha Singh was born in 1929 in Gobindpura village in the Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan. He spent most of his childhood in poverty. Singh lost his 14 siblings to poverty, poor health and lack of medical attention. During the 1947 partition, he became an orphan and moved to India. He earned his living by working in a roadside restaurant before joining the army in 1951. During his military training, he realised his sprinting abilities. Hawaldar Gurudev Singh persuaded him to run a cross-country race as a part of military training. He practiced hard and came to the limelight during the National Games at Patiala in 1956. He broke the 200m and 400m records in the National Games at Cuttack in 1958. From running three miles ranging from running the first mile slowly and then increasing pace each mile before his training in the off season schedule, Singh would run three 400m races followed by one slow-paced 200m race followed by three 400m races fast followed by another 200m race slowly in the morning. During the season schedule, 10 sprints of 150m on Mondays, six 200m sprints on Tuesdays, four 300m sprints on Wednesdays, two 500m sprints once on Saturdays followed by complete rest on Sunday.
He is the only athlete to win a gold medal in the 400 meters race at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. Milkha Singh set a National Record in the 1960 Olympics by winning fourth place in the 400m race in 45.73 seconds. This record remained for almost 40 years. In his sports career, Padma Shree Milkha Singh achieved many medals, including the gold medal in 200 meters in the 1958 Asian Games, 400 meters in the 1958 Asian Games, 440 yards in the 1958 Asian Games, 400 meters in the 1962 Asian Games, the 4x400-meter relay in the 1962 Asian Games, and silver in 400 meters in the 1964 Calcutta National Games. Apart from these achievements, in 1960, he was persuaded by then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to run against Abdul Khaliq in Pakistan, whom he defeated. He then re- ceived the title of ”The Flying Sikh” by General Ayub.
Milkha Singh established new records in the 200m and 400m races at the 1958 National Games in Cuttack. This information is available in the career milestones section.
Milkha Singh first gained prominence at the 1956 National Games in Patiala. His notable achievement was at the 1958 National Games in Cuttack, where he set new records for the 200m and 400m events.
| Year | Location | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Cuttack | Broke 200m and 400m records |
This accomplishment was a significant step in his subsequent successful career, which included gold medals at the 1958 Asian Games and a notable performance at the 1960 Olympics.
General Ayub bestowed the title of ‘Flying Sikh’ upon Milkha Singh. The passage confirms this, stating that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru encouraged Milkha Singh to compete against Abdul Khaliq in Pakistan. Following his victory over Abdul Khaliq, General Ayub conferred the title 'The Flying Sikh' upon him.
Milkha Singh achieved a National Record in the 400m race at the 1960 Olympics, securing fourth place with a time of 45.73 seconds. This record-setting performance directly addresses the query.
Therefore, the correct answer is 45.73 seconds.
Milkha Singh's Wednesday training schedule included four 300m sprints, as detailed in his weekly regimen:
Consequently, Milkha Singh's practice plan for Wednesday was "four 300m sprints."
Milkha Singh secured a silver medal in the 400m race at the 1964 National Games. The provided information states:
The passage highlights his significant achievements at the National Games and specific races demonstrating his sprinting prowess. Based on these details, the correct conclusion is the 1964 National Games, where he achieved a silver medal in the 400m race.