India's greatest ever athlete ...

The entire country seems to be gripped by the 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' fever. Must give it to Rakeysh Mehra, Farhan Akhtar and team for making a very watchable biopic.

It's important for the present generation to know about our heroes from the past. Milkha Singh's exploits (very well captured in the film) may spur some of the younger generation to take up running as a sport and excel.

Which brings me to a very pertinent question - Who's India's greatest ever athlete?

Is it Gurbachan Singh Randhawa? The man was Asia's best decathlete in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games. A combination of 10 track and field events, it's regarded as the ultimate test of physical endurance and ability.
Not many may remember that he came in fifth in the 110m final at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Indians are not known for their prowress over short distance and here was a man who was fifth best in the world.

Is it Milkha Singh? We all know about his exploits. Right from his challenged background to all the struggles that he had to endure and reaching the pinnacle of success, Milkha Singh's career has been well chronicled.

But, personally, for me the greatest ever athlete India produced has been PT Usha.
A tall and wiry girl from an extremely humble background in Kerala who won not just hearts but a bagful of medals with a combination of sheer grit and perseverance.

A photo finish denied her a well deserved medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Recall what she said post the race. "Never mind, I'll win six golds at Seoul (the 1986 Asiad was to be held there)". And she nearly achieved that promise by winning four gold and one silver medal.
In the 1985 Asian Track and Field Meet at Jakarta, PT Usha won 5 gold medals, which to this day is still a record for most gold medals won by a female athlete in any single track meet.

Not just the number of medals but the true legacy that a sports champion leaves is when he / she inspires a generation to take up the sport and strive to emulate.
Usha's success spawned a number of athletes, especially from Kerala, to take up running. These runners have excelled not just at national but on the international stage as well.

Even her contemporaries were instrumental in encouraging youngsters taking up track and field sports.
Shiny Abraham from Idukki, Kerala, was the undisputed queen in 800 metres for over a decade. The only second Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Asiad Games, MD Valsamma from Kannur, Kerala, was India's best bet in the 400m hurdles for many years.


The assembly line since then, by Indian standards, has been quite impressive:

Mercy Kuttan from Kerala was the first Indian female long jumper to cross six metres.
KM Beenamol from Kombidingal, Kerala won two gold medals at the 2002 Busan Asiad held in South Korea.
Anju Bobby George won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics at Paris. She's the only medal winner for India at the World Championships, till date. She holds the Indian record for the best long jump till date.
Mayookha Johny from Kozhikode holds the Indian record for women in the triple jump while Preeja Sreedharan from Mullakkanam, Kerala won a gold and silver medal in the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres respectively at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010.

And now India's best bet to win an Olympic medal in athletics lies with Usha's protege, Tintu Luka from Kannur, Kerala, who qualified for the semifinals of the 800 metres at the London Olympics. We can be rest assured of better performances in years to come.

The greatest ever tag is usually a very debatable one. Makes it very difficult to choose as one has to compare various parameters. But my vote goes on two principles:
1) The number of medals won and
2) The ability to inspire.