Harbhajan Singh Aulakh, 77, still remembers the time when he and his younger cousins at village Aulakh Brian in Gurdaspur, Punjab would travel more than 100km to see Milkha Singh run in local events in the 1950s.

Aulakh was declared the best junior athlete in his state for three consecutive years but the decision to take up a government job forced him to leave competitive running. More than half a century later, Singh has emerged as the leading medallist in the World Masters Games which ended in Sydney on Sunday, winning ten medals, including four gold, four silver and two bronze.

More than 2,800 competitors took part in the event, with Ruth Frith, 100, being the oldest competitor.

“We started running because of Milkha Singh. We were always eager to see him,” Aulakh said, speaking with The Indian Express over phone from Sydney.

“After he (Milkha) missed out on the bronze in the 1960 Rome Olympics, I remember going to a nearby town to see him. But it was only in 1981 that I met him, at a veterans’ meet in Delhi. I told him I’d always been a huge fan.”

Aulakh went to Australia two years ago to live with his son and began taking part in local events. “I participated in the Australian Masters earlier this year, but because of a pulled muscle I could only take part in only six events out of the planned 11. It did give me confidence for the World Masters, though,” he said.

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