‘’Flying Sikh’’ Milkha Singh urges docs to “”put on their running shoes””

Dubbed the ‘Flying Sikh’, by Pakistani president, General Ayub Khan, for his speed on the track, Milkha Singh’s journey as an athlete was effectively captured on-screen in the Bollywood blockbuster, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The film chronicles the many obstacles in Singh’s life, from the horrors of Partition, his gruelling training workouts as well as the crushing disappointments of races lost by a second.

Singh has associated himself with many fitness/exercise initiatives in the past and the film seems to have spurred more such opportunities, as evidenced by his backing for the launch of the Ranbaxy Diabetes Care initiative at the annual conference of the Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) held recently at Greater Noida, India.

The Ranbaxy Diabetes Care initiative, a new team launched specifically for diabetes, reportedly goes beyond medicines, propagating holistic diabetes care, with healthy life style — healthy food, regular exercise to provide physical and mental fitness, compliance to medicines and doctors’ advice etc.

Speaking at the RSSDI conference, Singh pointed out that doctors are role models for patients, and exhorted them to put on their running shoes and create awareness at the level of healthcare professionals which can be further translated to patients. He went on to build up a strong case for physical fitness as it “plays a vital role in fighting the adversities in life and gives mental strength to bounce back. This is especially true for a disease like diabetes can be effectively managed through lifestyle modifications.”

Reflecting the ideology

Milkha Singh

Explaining why Singh was chosen to send this message, Rajeev Sibal, Vice President and Head-India Region, Ranbaxy Laboratories said, “He is an iconic figure and truly reflects the ideology that we believe at Ranbaxy Diabetes Care i.e. physical fitness gives strength to fight adversities in life. Also, since doctors are role models for patients, Singh is an inspirational figure to drive this message through them while also inspiring doctors to remain physically fit themselves.”

Singh’s connection to the cause is on two counts: firstly, it was for the cause of fitness and health and secondly, it addresses doctors who are care takers for patients fitness.

Ranbaxy Diabetes Care initiative aims to promote health and wellness among the community, educate doctors in physical training, empower diabetic patients to cope with the complications of diabetes and provide support for healthy lifestyle choices. According to a press release, the initiative will provide continued access to affordable high quality generic diabetes medicines to patients across India.

Singh was also seen at IOACON 2013, the 58th Annual Conference of the Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA) held in Agra recently. The event saw orthopaedic experts come together to deliberate upon the latest advancements, research and best practices in the field of orthopaedics. As the Chief Guest, Singh in his speech, stressed on the importance of fitness for a good quality of life and spoke about the role of injuries in a sportsman’s life and how he managed to stay fit despite being injured several times in his sporting career.

Strengthening the cause

Enlisting the support of personalities like Milkha Singh who ‘walk the talk’, is expected to give the much needed boost to fitness and urge people to opt for a healthier way of living.