Madikeri ; Everyone knows about flying sikh Milkha singh, the pride of the country. But none knows the unsung hero from Kodagu who defeated Milkha singh. Kunjiyanda Aiyanna from Ammathi in Virajpet taluk, Kodagu district had trounced the Flying Sikh in a 100-metre race in 1951. While Aiyanna had clocked 10.69 seconds, Milkha Singh clocked 10.75 seconds. Born in the year 1929 Aiyanna represented Karnataka in the National-level 100 mts. He has a credit of winning over Milkha Singh several times at National-level Meets and held the record for 100 mts for some period, unbeaten. But Aiyanna never got recognition for his achievement .His feat came to light only after the news of Milkha Singh passing away flashed across the media two days back. He joined the Indian Army and served the Artillery Division. As he was a sprinter, his commanding officers recognized his talent and began training him amidst his Army duties. Aiyanna proved to be a true sportsperson and honed his skills to reach his defining moment that came in the form of National-level 100 mts. He sprinted to glory and
defeated people who later rose to be legends. But Aiyanna remained in obscurity. Speaking to Reporters Aiyannas son Arun who runs event management firm in Kodagu said that his father used to speak a lot about his achievements. He used to tell us about how he struggled hard in athletics at a time when sports was considered a least priority in India and at a time when there were not even basic facilities for sports persons. He told us about how people from South India were called ‘Madrasis’ and were looked down upon by sports persons from North, Arun said.“The discrimination was clear and my father had to remain in obscurity. No one recognized him and despite this, he gave a stellar performance on tracks Arun added. The unsung hero passed away in 1995 at an age of 65.
