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Ajmer Singh (1 February 1940 – 26 January 2010) was an Indian sprinter who competed in the
1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...
, was a gold medalist at the
1966 Asian Games The 1966 Asian Games (), also known as the V Asiad, were a continental multi-sport event that was held from 9 to 20 December 1966, in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 142 events in 16 sports were contested by athletes during the games. Taiwan and Isr ...
, in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, and later served as Director of Sports,
Punjab University, Chandigarh Panjab University (PU) is a collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh, Punjab. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Laho ...
.


Early life and education

He was born in a
Jat Sikh Jat Sikh (also known by the more conventional endonym Jatt Sikh) is a sub-group of the Jat people and the Sikh religious group from the Indian subcontinent. They are one of the dominant communities in the Punjab owing to their large land holdin ...
farmer family of Kartar Singh Aulakh and Bachan Kaur
Aulakh Aulakh is a Jat clan in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. They are mainly concentrated in the tehsil of Ajnala in the Amritsar district of Punjab, India, with significant presence in the Shahbazpur of Tarn Taran district in the Majha regio ...
, at Kup Kalan village in the
Sangrur district Sangrur district is in the state of Punjab in northern India. Sangrur city is the district headquarters. It is one of the five districts in Patiala Division in the Indian state of Punjab. Neighbouring districts are Malerkotla (north), Barnala ...
of Punjab He graduated from Government College,
Malerkotla Malerkotla is a city and district headquarters of Malerkotla district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was the seat of the eponymous princely state during the British Raj. The state acceded to the union of India in 1947 and was merged with ...
, and later did his
Bachelor of Physical Education A Bachelor of Physical Education (BPE or BPhEd) is a bachelor degree granted by some universities. In many Canadian universities it has been replaced by a Bachelor of Kinesiology. The degree can include topics such as sport science, coaching, and ...
(B.P.E.] from Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Gwalior. This was followed by M.A. from Punjab University, Chandigarh, and finally, he also did his Ph.D from Punjab University Chandigarh. Ajmer Singh is the only Indian personality with a PhD degree in Physical Education to have been honored by Govt. of India with the Arjuna Award. He was a
self-made man "Self-made man" is a classic phrase coined on February 2, 1842 by Henry Clay in the United States Senate, to describe individuals whose success lay within the individuals themselves, not with outside conditions. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Foun ...
who came from very humble beginnings and remained a humble person all his life, an able administrator, a great coach and teacher, a passionate mentor, a strict disciplinarian, a warm human being whose heart and the home was always open to others, and a very fine family man. Up to middle school level education, Ajmer had to walk to the neighbouring village of Rohira, some 2 miles (about 4 kilometers) from village Kup. Family being very poor, Ajmer walked bare feet, rain or shine, winters or summers, dressed in rags through thorny paths to school, and yet achieved first division at all school level examinations. There was no electricity in those days, and he would sit at night by a small oil lamp and study, as he would be out helping with all family chores at home and in the fields during daylight. Always under-fed, and malnutritioned, Ajmer had knocking knees as a growing up child, and yet he became Asian champion in sprinting, and an Olympian athlete. Having lost his mother while he was a baby, Ajmer had only one regret having never known his mother.


Career

He took part in the
1964 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this hon ...
, two years later at the
1966 Asian Games The 1966 Asian Games (), also known as the V Asiad, were a continental multi-sport event that was held from 9 to 20 December 1966, in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 142 events in 16 sports were contested by athletes during the games. Taiwan and Isr ...
held at
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, he won a gold in
400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...
, and a silver in
200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
Was on deputation as Special Education Officer to Federal Govt. of Nigeria from 1976 to 1979. While in Nigeria, Ajmer coached Daghba Minha who was his student at
Federal Government Girls' College, Abuloma Federal Government Girls' College, Abuloma is a girls' secondary school in Abuloma, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, established in 1975. History Federal Government Girl’s College, Abuloma was set up in 1974 and opened in 1975, in Bokokiri, Port ...
, Portharcourt, Nigeria, in athletics. Minha, under the able and dedicated guidance of Ajmer, became Nigeria's national champion in Shot Put and Discus Throw. He also remained vice-chancellor of Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education,
Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
and Maulana Abul Kalam Chair and Director Sports, at the
Punjab University, Chandigarh Panjab University (PU) is a collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh, Punjab. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Laho ...
. He died in Chandigarh in the morning of 26 January 2010, at the age of 70, and is survived by his wife, two sons and grand children. He was awarded the second highest sports award, the
Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjuna, one ...
by
Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
in 1966 Two years before his death, Ajmer had declared his body be donated for medical research to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research at Chandigarh. Also, he Ajmer had declared that no memorials be made/constructed in his memory in any form. Both his wishes were fulfilled by his family.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Ajmer Indian male sprinters 1940 births 2010 deaths Olympic athletes of India Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics People from Sangrur Athletes from Punjab, India Asian Games gold medalists for India Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Asian Games silver medalists for India Recipients of the Arjuna Award Panjab University faculty Indian Sikhs Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 Asian Games Medalists at the 1966 Asian Games Medalists at the 1970 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Panjab University alumni Commonwealth Games competitors for India