Golfer Jeev remembers parents Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur at prayer meet

Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh on Sunday held a prayer meet for his parents, sprint legend Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur, ahead of their death anniversary next month.

Jeev, while paying tribute to his father Milkha Singh and mother Nirmal Kaur, both of whom died of COVID-19 complications in June last year, turned emotional. "Everybody feels about the parents in the same way like we do. We still feel the void and can't believe that they are not there with us anymore," he said.

He recalled having asked his father once why he was so firm and mother Nirmal so gentle, to which the legendary athlete had replied, "Mawaan Thandiyan Chawan" (mothers are calm and cool) while fathers have to be firm. "I would like to share an experience with you which I have realised now, with age and experience. We were blessed to be born in a house where we were given the right guidance, values and taught to be humble."

Milkha's wife and former national volleyball captain Nirmal Kaur had died just five days before the legendary sprinter's death. About his parents' friends and well-wishers, Jeev said, "You made them smile at the golf course, played cards with them, cracked a joke. We cherish that and we appreciate what everybody did for them."

After his father died last year, Jeev had then said he would need a lifetime of resilience to deal with the loss of his best friend, guide, and mentor. Jeev had then described his mother's death as the "loss of family's backbone".