‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh Booked For Chandigarh Golf Club Brawl

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CHANDIGARH – Legendary Olympian Milkha Singh, 77, was named in an FIR filed at Sector 26 police station in Chandigarh following a brawl at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Saturday, which left the 16th tee blood splattered and three senior club members wounded.

The scrap took place among golfers from two groups over precedence of play at the 16th hole tee-off. Enraged golfers struck each other with golf clubs, and those injured included Congress MLA Randeep Singh Nabha, Lt Col (retd) Vijay Singh Sandhu and former club honorary captain Sukhjit Singh Lehal.

While Lt Col Sandhu filed a complaint against Nabha and Lehal for “raining blows with their driver clubs”, Nabha in his complaint accused Sandhu of “repeatedly assaulting him with golf sticks”.

While Nabha’s group included ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh and former Punjab chief secretary R S Mann, Sandhu was playing with lawyer Harmanjit Sethi and one Ajay Kanwar.

Friction between the two groups began on the 4th hole, with an exchange of words between Sandhu and Milkha over “slow play” by Milkha’s group. On the 11th hole, there were more angry exchanges between Sandhu and Lehal over the “long time” taken over a penalty drop by Lehal.

The arguments turned into a broil at the 16th tee as arguments between Sandhu and Nabha exploded into a pitched fight. The Sector 26 police registered two cross FIRs on Saturday night.

Milkha denied involvement in the fight. “I have been dragged into the FIR because of my name. I was playing along with Nabha and Lehal but had no part in the fight. We were reduced to helpless bystanders as Sandhu attacked Nabha and Lehal, and they in turn defended themselves.

“Mann and I tried to calm things down but failed. This is a shameful episode for our club which has produced great players. I condemn such violence and appeal to members to follow the etiquettes of the game,” Milkha told TOI.

“The club has suspended Nabha, Sandhu and Lehal pending inquiry, and the trio has been barred from using the club’s facilities,” club honorary captain Sandeep Sandhu told TOI.