P.T.Usha

                     P.T.Usha

Native name
പിലാവുള്ളകണ്ടി തെക്കേ പറമ്പിൽ ഉഷ
Born
Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha [1]
27 June 1964 (age 50)
Payyoli , Kozhikode , Kerala, India
Residence
Payyoli , Kozhikode
Nationality
Indian
Other names
Payyoli Express, Golden Girl
Occupation
track and field athlete
Employer
Indian Railways
Known for
Padma Shri
Height
5' 7" (170 cm)
Spouse(s)
V. Srinivasan
Children
Ujjwal
Parents
Paithal, Lakshmi
Signature
Website
ptusha.org
Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha (born June 27,
1964), popularly known as P. T. Usha , is an Indian
track and field athlete from the state of Kerala. P.
T. Usha has been associated with Indian athletics
since 1979. She is regarded as one of the greatest
athletes India has ever produced and is often
called the "queen of Indian track and field". [2] She
is nicknamed the Payyoli Express . Currently she
runs the Usha School of Athletics at Koyilandy in
Kerala. P. T. Usha was born in the village of
Payyoli , Kozhikode District, Kerala. In 1976 the
Kerala State Government started a Sports School
for women, and Usha was chosen to represent her
district.
Career
In 1979 P. T. Usha participated in the National
School Games, where she was noticed by O. M.
Nambiar , who coached her throughout her career.
Her debut in the 1980 Moscow Olympics proved
lacklustre. In the 1982 New Delhi Asiad, she got
the silver medal in the 100m and the 200m, but at
the Asian Track and Field Championship in Kuwait
a year later, Usha took the gold in the 400m with a
new Asian record[ citation needed ] . From 1983-89,
Usha garnered 13 golds at ATF meets.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she finished
first in the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles,
but narrowly missed a medal in the finals,
reminiscent of Milkha Singh 's 1960 defeat. There
was a nail-biting photo finish for the third place. [3]
Usha lost the bronze by 1/100th of a second. She
became the first Indian woman (and the fifth
Indian) to reach the final of an Olympic event by
winning her 400m hurdles semi-final.
In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P.
T. Usha won 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal in
the track and field events. Here she created new
Asian Games records in all the events in which she
participated. She won five golds at the 6th Asian
Track and Field Championship at Jakarta in 1985.
Her six medals at the same meet is a record for a
single athlete in a single international meet.
[ citation needed ]
Usha has won 101 international medals so far. She
is employed as an officer in the Southern
Railways . In 1985, she was conferred the Padma
Shri and the Arjuna Award.
Currently she coaches young athletes at her
training academy in Kerala, including Tintu Luka ,
who was qualified for the women's semi-final
800m at the London 2012 Olympics.
Achievements
P. T. Usha
Medal record
Women's athletics
Asian Games
Gold
1986 Seoul
200 metres
Gold
1986 Seoul
400 metres
Gold
1986 Seoul
400 metres hurdles
Gold
1986 Seoul
4x400 metres relay
Silver
1982 New Delhi
100 metres
Silver
1982 New Delhi
200 metres
Silver
1986 Seoul
100 metres
Silver
1990 Beijing
400 metres
Silver
1990 Beijing
4x100 metres relay
Silver
1994 Hiroshima
4x400 metres relay
Set a national record at the state athletic meet
at Kottayam, 1977.
Captured the limelight as a junior athlete in the
national interstate meet at Kollam, 1978.
Participated in the Moscow Olympics, 1980.
Became the first Indian woman to reach the final
of an Olympic event.
Became the youngest Indian sprinter, aged 16,
to compete in the quadrennial sporting
extravaganza at the Moscow Olympics.
Participated in the 1982 Delhi Asiad and won
the first medal of the games.
Tried the 400m for the first time at the 1983
Asian Track and Field Meet (re-christened as the
Asian championship) at Kuwait. She emerged
successful in the one-lapper in an international
arena for the first time.
Achieved a record of 55.42 seconds at Los
Angeles, the very first time the 400m hurdles
was added to the women's athletics. This is the
current Indian national record. [4]
Won 5 gold medals and 1 bronze in 1985, at the
Jakarta Asian Athletic meet.
Won 4 golds and 1 silver in 1986, Seoul Asian
Games, claiming for herself the title of Asia's
sprint queen.
Took a hiatus from the sport following her
marriage in 1991, returning in 1993.
Participated in three Olympic Games, Moscow
1980 , Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988.
Member of 4 x 400 m relay squad in Atlanta
1996, but did not compete.
Represented India in 4 x 100 metres relay
together with Rachita Mistry, E. B. Shyla, and
Saraswati Saha at the 1998 Asian
Championships in Athletics where her team won
the gold medal on way to setting the current
national record of 44.43 s. [5][6]
Awards and honors
Recipient of the Arjuna Award, 1984
Padma Shri, 1984
Greatest woman athlete, 1985 Jakarta Asian
Athletic Meet
Best Athlete in Asia Award, 1984, 1985, 1986,
1987 and 1989
World Trophy for best Athlete, 1985, 1986
Adidas Golden Shoe award for the best athlete,
1986 Seoul Asian Games
Kerala Sports Journalists Award, 1999
Thirty international awards for her excellence in
athletics
Further reading
India’s 50 Most Illustrious Women ( ISBN
81-88086-19-3 ) by Indra Gupta
See also
List of Indian women athletes
List of Kerala Olympians
Indian national records in athletics
References
1. ^ P. T. USHA Personal Profile at
www.ptusha.org
2. ^ Usha School of Athletics: A giant stride
forward
3. ^ "Women's 400M Hurdles (Finals) - Los
Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics"
.
4. ^ "National records" . ATHLETICS FEDERATION
of INDIA. 2011-12-31. Retrieved
2013-08-17.
5. ^ Vijaykumar, C.N.R (1998-12-15). "After the
feast, the famine" . www.rediff.com. Retrieved
2009-09-04.
6. ^ "National records" . ATHLETICS FEDERATION
of INDIA. 2011-12-31. Retrieved
2013-08-17.

milkha singh

milkha singh

Born
October 1935 (age 78)
Govindpura, Punjab, British India
Residence
Chandigarh , India
Nationality
Indian
Other names
The Flying Sikh
Occupation
Track and field athlete
Employer
Retired; formerly of the Indian Army and
Government of Punjab, India
Religion
Sikh
Spouse(s)
Nirmal Kaur
Olympic medal record
Men's Athletics
Competitor for IND
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold
1958 Cardiff
440 yards
Asian Games
Gold
1958 Tokyo
200 m
Gold
1958 Tokyo
400 m
Gold
1962 Jakarta
400 m
Gold
1962 Jakarta
4 x 400 m relay
Milkha Singh (born 17 october 1935), also known
as The Flying Sikh , is a former Indian track and
field sprinter who was introduced to the sport
while serving in the Indian Army. As of 2013, he is
the only Indian male athlete to win an individual
athletics gold medal at a Commonwealth Games .
He represented India in the 1956 Summer
Olympics in Melbourne , the 1960 Summer
Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo. He was awarded the Padma Shri , India's
fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his
sporting achievements.
The race for which Singh is best remembered is
his fourth-place finish in the 400 metres final at
the 1960 Olympic Games, which he had entered as
one of the favourites. He led the race for some
time before easing off, allowing others to pass him.
Various records were broken in the race, which
required a photo-finish and saw American Otis
Davis being declared the winner by one-hundredth
of a second over German Carl Kaufmann . Singh's
fourth-place time of 45.73 became the Indian
national record and held for almost 40 years.
From beginnings that saw him orphaned and
displaced during the Partition of India , Singh has
become a sporting icon in his country. In 2008,
journalist Rohit Brijnath described Singh as "the
finest athlete India has ever produced". [1] In July
2012, The Independent said that "India's most
revered Olympian is a gallant loser" and noted the
paucity of success — 20 medals — achieved by
Indian competitors in the Olympic Games despite
the country having a population in excess of one
billion. [2]
Early life
Milkha Singh was born on 20 November 1929
according to records in Pakistan, [3] although other
official records various state 17 October 1935 [4]
and 20 November 1935. [5] His birthplace was
Govindpura, [6] a village 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)
from Muzaffargarh city in Punjab Province , British
India (now Muzaffargarh District , Pakistan ) in a
Sikh Rathore Rajput family. [7] He was one of 15
siblings, eight of whom died before the Partition of
India. He was orphaned during the Partition, when
his parents, a brother and two sisters were killed
in the violence that ensued. He witnessed these
killings. [1][6][8][9]
Escaping the troubles in Punjab, where killings of
Hindus and Sikhs were continuing, [8] by moving to
Delhi , India, in 1947, Singh lived for a short time
with a married sister[6] and was briefly imprisoned
at Tihar jail for travelling on a train without a
ticket. His sister, Ishvar, sold some jewellery to
obtain his release. [9][10] He spent some time at a
refugee camp in Purana Quila and at a resettlement
colony in Shahdara , both in Delhi. [6]
Singh became disenchanted with his life and
considered becoming a dacoit [a] but was instead
persuaded by a brother, Malkhan, to attempt
recruitment to the Indian Army. He successfully
gained entrance on his fourth attempt, in 1951, and
while stationed at the Electrical Mechanical
Engineering Centre[11] in Secunderabad he was
introduced to athletics. He had run the 10 km
distance to and from school as a child and was
selected by the army for special training in
athletics after finishing sixth in a compulsory
cross-country run for new recruits. [8][9] Singh
has acknowledged how the army introduced him to
sport, saying that "I came from a remote village, I
didn't know what running was, or the Olympics". [1]
[8]
International career
He represented India in the 200m and 400m
competitions of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic
Games. [12] His inexperience meant that he did not
progress from the heat stages but a meeting with
the eventual 400m champion at those Games,
Charles Jenkins, both inspired him to greater
things and provided him with information about
training methods. [1]
In 1958, Singh set records for the 200m and 400m
in the National Games of India , held at Cuttack, [11]
and also won gold medals in the same events at
the Asian Games . He then won a gold medal in the
400m (440 yards at this time) competition at the
1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
with a time of 46.6 seconds. [10] This latter
achievement made him the first gold medalist at
the Commonwealth Games from independent India.
[9] As of 2013, he is still the only male Indian to
have won an individual athletics gold medal at
those Games. [13]
Singh was persuaded by Jawaharlal Nehru to set
aside his memories of the Partition era to race
successfully in 1960 against Abdul Khaliq in
Pakistan, where a post-race comment by the then
General Ayub Khan led to him acquiring the
nickname of The Flying Sikh . [b] Some sources say
that he set a world record of 45.8 seconds in
France, [11] shortly before the Rome Olympics in
the same year but the official report of the Games
lists the record holder as Lou Jones , who ran 45.2
at Los Angeles in 1956. [4] At those Olympics, he
was involved in a close-run final race in the 400m
competition, where he was placed fourth. [8][9]
Singh had beaten all the leading contenders other
than Otis Davis, and a medal had been anticipated
because of his good form. However, he made an
error when leading the race at 250m, slowing
down in the belief that his pace could not be
sustained and looking round at his fellow
competitors. Singh believes that these errors
caused him to lose his medal opportunity and they
are his "worst memory". [11] Davis, Carl Kaufmann
and Malcolm Spence all passed him, and a photo-
finish resulted. Davis and Kaufman were both
timed at a world-record breaking 44.9 seconds,
while Spence and Singh went under the pre-
Games Olympic record of 45.9 seconds, set in
1952 by George Rhoden and Herb McKenley , with
times of 45.5 and 45.6 seconds, respectively. [4]
[10] The Age noted in 2006 that "Milkha Singh is
the only Indian to have broken an Olympic track
record. Unfortunately he was the fourth man to do
so in the same race" [14] but the official Olympic
report notes that Davis had already equalled the
Rhoden/McKenley Olympic record in the quarter-
finals and surpassed it with a time of 45.5 seconds
in the semi-finals. [4]
At the 1962 Asian Games , held in Jakarta , Singh
won gold in the 400m [10] and in the 4 x 400m
relay . [15] He attended the 1964 Olympic Games in
Tokyo, where he was entered to compete in the
400m, the 4 x 100m relay and the 4 x 400m relay.
[5] He did not take part in either the 400m [16] or
the 4 x 100m relay [c] and the Indian team of
Milkha Singh, Makhan Singh , Amrit Pal and Ajmer
Singh were eliminated when they finished fourth in
the heat stages of the 4 x 400m. [18]
There have been claims that Singh won 77 of his
80 races, [11] but these are spurious. The number
of races in which he participated is not verified,
nor is the number of victories, but he lost a 400m
race at the 1962 National Games in Calcutta to
Makhan Singh [19] and he did not finish first in any
of his four races at the 1960 Olympic Games[4] or
the aforementioned qualification races at the 1956
Olympics.
Singh's time in the 1960 Olympics 400m final,
which was run on a cinder track, set a national
record that stood until 1998 when Paramjit Singh
exceeded it on a synthetic track and with fully
automatic timing that recorded 45.70 seconds.
Although Singh's Olympic result of 45.6 seconds
had been hand-timed, an electronic system at
those Games had determined his record to be
45.73. [20]
Later life
Milkha Singh was promoted from the rank of sepoy
to junior commissioned officer in recognition of his
successes in the 1958 Asian Games. [21][d] He
subsequently became Director of Sports in the
Punjab Ministry of Education , [11] from which post
he had retired by 1998. [20]
Singh had been awarded the Padma Shri following
his success in 1958. In 2001, he turned down an
offer of the Arjuna Award from the Indian
government, arguing that it was intended to
recognise young sportspeople and not those such
as him. He also thought that the Award was being
inappropriately given to people who had little
notable involvement as active sports people at all.
He said that "I have been clubbed with
sportspersons who are nowhere near the level that
I had achieved" and that the award had become
devalued. [22][23]
All of Singh's medals have been donated to the
nation. They were displayed at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium in New Delhi but later moved to a
sports museum in Patiala , [11] where a pair of
running shoes that he wore in Rome are also
displayed. [24] In 2012, he donated the Adidas
shoes that he had worn in the 1960 400m final to
a charity auction organised by actor Rahul Bose .
[25]
Singh and his daughter, Sonia Sanwalka, co-wrote
his autobiography, titled The Race of My Life. [26]
The book inspired Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a 2013
biographical film of Singh's life. [27][28][29] Singh
sold the movie rights for one rupee but inserted a
clause stating that a share of the profits would be
given to the Milkha Singh Charitable Trust. [8] The
Trust was founded in 2003 with the aim of
assisting poor and needy sportspeople. [30]
Family
As of 2012, Singh lives in Chandigarh. [25] He met
Nirmal Kaur, a former captain of the Indian
women's volleyball team in Ceylon in 1955 and the
couple married in 1962. [6] They have three
daughters and a son, Jeev Milkha Singh . In 1999,
they adopted the seven-year old son of Havildar
Bikram Singh, who had died in the Battle of Tiger
Hill . [11]
Awards and achievements
Gold Medal – 1958 Commonwealth Games –
400 m
Gold Medal – 1958 Asian Games – 200 m and
400 m
Gold Medal – 1962 Asian Games
Padma Shri – 1959
References
Notes
1. ^ Paan Singh Tomar, one of Singh's
contemporaries in the Indian Army and as an
athlete, did become infamous as a dacoit. [6]
2. ^ On Singh's 1960 victory over Abdul Khaliq
in Pakistan, Ayub Khan, then President of
Pakistan, told Singh that "You didn't run
today, you flew". [8]
3. ^ The Indian 4 x 100m relay competitors at
the 1964 Olympic Games were Anthony
Coutinho, Makhan Singh, Kenneth Powell and
Rajasekaran Pichaya in both the heats and
semi-final, where they were eliminated from
the competition. [17]
4. ^ Promotion in recognition of bringing glory
to the nation continues today. Some
cricketers attain the rank of honorary colonel
and in 2012 Singh was outspoken in his
desire to see promotion for Vijay Kumar ,
who had won a silver medal at the 2012
London Olympics . [21]
Citations
1. ^ a b c d Brijnath, Rohit (30 July 2008). "The
'Flying Sikh' remembers" . BBC News.
Retrieved 12 July 2013.
2. ^ "Opening week's action at the Games... and
what to expect"
. The Independent. 29 July 2012. Retrieved
14 July 2013.
3. ^ Nair, Avinash (22 November 2013).
"Flashback with the Flying Sikh" . The Hindu.
Retrieved 14 April 2014.
4. ^ a b c d e "The XVII Olympiad Rome 1960 –
The Official Report of the Organizing
Committee"
2. Organizing Committee of the Games of the
XVII Olympiad. pp. 76–80. Retrieved 17 July
2013.
5. ^ a b "The XVIII Olympiad Tokyo 1964 – The
Official Report of the Organizing Committee"
1. Organizing Committee of the Games of the
XVIII Olympiad. p. 596. Retrieved 17 July
2013.
6. ^ a b c d e f D'Souza, Dipti Nagpaul (23 June
2013). "Will over matter" . The Financial
Express. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
7. ^ "Milkha Singh - The making of a legend" .
Sify.com. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 15 March
2014.
8. ^ a b c d e f g Koshie, Nihal (30 June 2013).
"'If Milkha Singh was born in present times,
no one would be able to break his record in
100 yrs'"
. Indian Express. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
9. ^ a b c d e Sharma, Aabhas (5 July 2013).
"India's first celebrity athlete" . Business
Standard. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
10. ^ a b c d Ezekiel, Gulu (30 July 2005). "The
Flying Sikh's Exploits" . The Hindu. Retrieved
13 July 2013.
11. ^ a b c d e f g h Masih, Archana (September
2000). "Milkha Singh ... on the race of his
life" . Rediff. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
12. ^ "The XVI Olympiad Melbourne 1956 – The
Official Report of the Organizing Committee"
. Organizing Committee of the Games of the
XVI Olympiad. pp. 287, 290. Retrieved 17
July 2013.
13. ^ Ananthanarayanan, N. (13 July 2013),
Milkha Singh: the man who never gave up,
Hindustan Times, retrieved 14 July 2013
14. ^ Coulter, Michael (12 August 2006). "Great
sporting Sikhs" . The Age. Retrieved 14 July
2013.
15. ^ "Makhan Singh dead" . The Hindu. 23
January 2002. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
16. ^ "The XVIII Olympiad Tokyo 1964 – The
Official Report of the Organizing Committee"
2. Organizing Committee of the Games of the
XVIII Olympiad. pp. 25–26. Retrieved 17 July
2013.
17. ^ "The XVIII Olympiad Tokyo 1964 – The
Official Report of the Organizing Committee"
2. Organizing Committee of the Games of the
XVIII Olympiad. pp. 48, 50. Retrieved 17 July
2013.
18. ^ "The XVIII Olympiad Tokyo 1964 – The
Official Report of the Organizing Committee"
2. Organizing Committee of the Games of the
XVIII Olympiad. p. 51. Retrieved 17 July
2013.
19. ^ Bhattal, Amardeep (21 January 2002).
"Makhan Singh dead" . The Tribune.
Retrieved 13 July 2013.
20. ^ a b Pritam, Norris (6 November 1998). "38
Year Old Indian Record Falls" . IAAF.
Retrieved 17 July 2013.
21. ^ a b Kahol, Vikas (9 August 2012). "Milkha
Singh backs promotion for silver medallist
armyman"
. India Today. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
22. ^ "Milkha Singh not to accept Arjuna Award" .
The Tribune. 16 August 2001. Retrieved 13
July 2013.
23. ^ Jolly, Asit (16 August 2001). "'Flying Sikh'
snubs award" . BBC News. Retrieved 13 July
2013.
24. ^ "Milkha Singh donates Olympic shoes for
charity auction"
. The Times of India. PTI. 24 January 2012.
Retrieved 15 July 2013.
25. ^ a b "Milkha Singh gives his 1960 Olympics
shoes for charity"
. Mid-Day. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 15
July 2013.
26. ^ "Milkha Singh: ‘My God, my religion, my
beloved’"
. Livemint/Hindustan Times. 10 July 2013.
Retrieved 15 July 2013.
27. ^ "I don't know how much people know
about Milkha Singh: Farhan Akhtar"
. Hindustan Times. 12 July 2013. Retrieved
15 July 2013.
28. ^ "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Picks Up Well on Day
One"
. Box Office India. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 13
July 2013.
29. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (1 July 2013). "When
Milkha Singh ran for his life" . Livemint/
Hindustan Times. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
30. ^ "The Race of My Life: An Autobiography" .
Rupa Publications. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
External links
"Transcript of a webchat" . Rediff. 22 August
2001.
"Video of Singh in the closing stages of the 440
yards (400m) race, 1958 British Empire &
Commonwealth Games"

Fauja Singh

Fauja Singh

Nickname(s)
Turbaned Tornado
Running Baba
Sikh Superman[1]
Nationality
British
Born
1 April 1911 (age 103)
Beas Pind , Jalandhar
Punjab , British India
Residence
United Kingdom
Years active
2000 – 2013
Height
1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight
53 kilograms (117 lb)
Sport
Country
United Kingdom
Sport
Marathon
Retired
24 February 2013 [2][3]
Updated on 26 January 2013.
Fauja Singh (Punjabi : ਫੌਜਾ ਸਿੰਘ, born 1 April 1911) is a
British centenarian marathon runner of Punjabi
Sikh descent. He is a world record holder in his
age bracket. His current personal best time for the
London Marathon (2003) is 6 hours 2 minutes, [4]
and his marathon record, for age 90-plus, is 5
hours 40 minutes at the age of 92, at the 2003
Toronto Waterfront Marathon . [5][6]
In 2004, Singh was featured in an advertising
campaign for sportswear manufacturer Adidas
alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali . [7]
[8]
Singh holds UK records for the 200 m, 400 m, 800
m, mile and 3000 m for his age group, records all
set within a single 94 minute period. [9][10][11] At
the age of 100 (and a half), Singh attempted and
accomplished eight world age group records in one
day, at the special Ontario Masters Association
Fauja Singh Invitational Meet, held at Birchmount
Stadium in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Timed by
officials in Canada, [12] He ran the 100 metres in
23.14, 200 metres in 52.23, the 400 metres in
2:13.48, the 800 metres in 5:32.18, the 1500
metres in 11:27.81, the mile in 11:53.45, the 3000
metres in 24:52.47 and the 5000 metres in
49:57.39, setting five world records for his age
group in one day. Each time bested the previous
record in that age division (some events had no
previous record holder, as nobody over age 100
had ever attempted the distance). Some of his
marks are significantly superior to the listed world
record in the M95 age group as well. [13]
Three days later, on 16 October 2011, Singh
became the first 100-year-old to finish a
marathon, completing the Toronto Waterfront
Marathon in 8:11:06. [14] As it took him over 14
minutes after the gun to cross the starting line, the
official time submitted for the age group record will
be 8:25:17. [15] However, Guinness World Records
refused to include Singh in its record book due to
the fact that he could not produce his birth
certificate to prove his age. Birth records were not
kept in India in 1911, [16] however it is claimed
that records written in Urdu date back to 23
February 1879. [17] He was able to produce a
passport listing his date of birth as 1 April 1911,
and a letter from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating
him on his 100th birthday. [18]
In October 2011, Singh, a vegan, became the
oldest man to be featured in a PETA campaign. [19]
In July 2012, Fauja Singh carried the Olympic
torch. [20]
Singh had stated that he would retire from
competitive running after taking part in the Hong
Kong marathon on 24 February 2013 (just 5 weeks
shy of his 102nd birthday). [2] He successfully
completed the 10 kilometre run at the Hong Kong
marathon in 1 hour 32 minutes and 28 seconds, [3]
and fully intends to continue running for pleasure,
health and charity.
Biography
Fauja Singh was born in Beas Pind , Jalandhar ,
Punjab , British India on 1 April 1911, [5] the
youngest of four children. Fauja did not develop
the ability to walk until he was five years old. His
legs were thin and weak, and he could hardly walk
long distances. Because of this, he was often
teased, and had to carry the nickname
"danda" (Punjabi : दण्ड) for the next ten years. As a
young man, Fauja was an avid amateur runner, but
he gave it up at the time of the 1947 India-
Pakistan Partition.
It was only after witnessing the death of his fifth
son, Kuldip, in a construction accident in August
1994, that Fauja returned to his passion for
running, in 1995. The deaths of his wife in 1992,
and his eldest daughter who had died from
complications after giving birth to his third
granddaughter, gave him the determination for this
new focus in life. [1] He emigrated to England in the
1990s and lives with one of his sons in Ilford . [21]
At 89 years, he took seriously to running and
ended up in international marathon events. When
he first turned up for training at Redbridge, Essex,
he was dressed in a three-piece suit. The coach
had to rework everything, including his attire.
Singh ran his first race, the London Marathon , in
2000. [22] According to his coach, he used to run
up to 20 kilometres easily and wanted to run a
marathon, thinking it to be just 26 kilometres and
not 26 miles (42 kilometres). It was after he
realised this that he began training seriously. [23]
Singh shot to fame when, at the age of 93, he
completed the 26.2 mile distance in 6 hours and
54 minutes. This knocked 58 minutes off the
previous world best for anyone in the 90-plus age
bracket. [5]
Singh is 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall and weighs 52 kg
(115 lb). He attributes his physical fitness and
longevity to abstaining from smoking and alcohol
and to following a simple vegetarian diet. [24] He
has been quoted as saying "I am very careful
about different foods. My diet is simple phulka , dal ,
green vegetables, yogurt and milk. I do not touch
parathas, pakoras , rice or any other fried food. I
take lots of water and tea with ginger . ... I go to
bed early taking the name of my Rabba (God) as I
don’t want all those negative thoughts crossing my
mind." [5]
Speaking about the marathon, he said: "The first
20 miles are not difficult. As for last six miles, I
run while talking to God." [5]
"Sikhs in the City"
He is the eldest of a group of Sikhs who call
themselves "Sikhs in the City", formed over 10
years ago. There were three other Sikhs, aged 79,
79 and 80, in the "Golden Oldies" team which ran
the Edinburgh Marathon relay in 2009. [25] The
SITC running group are a now a well-established
team based in East London, running marathons
across the world with interfaith groups and raising
money for Fauja Singh's charities.
Turbaned Tornado
His biography, titled "Turbaned Tornado", was
formally released in the Attlee Room of Britain's
House of Lords on 7 July 2011 by Lord Anthony
Young of Norwood Green and retired British Crown
Court judge Sir Mota Singh. The 114-page book,
penned by Chandigarh-based columnist and writer
Khushwant Singh (not to be confused with
Khushwant Singh , the prominent Indian novelist
and journalist), traces the runner's roots and tries
to capture his life's journey, including the impact of
Fauja on the world around him. [22][26]
Achievements
Running Career
Rediscovered at age of 81
Marathons run: London (5), Toronto (2), New
York (1)
Marathon debut: London, 2000, aged 89
London Flora Marathon 2000: 6:54
London Flora Marathon 2001: 6:54
London Flora Marathon 2002: 6:45
Bupa Great North Run (Half Marathon) 2002:
2:39
London Flora Marathon 2003: 6:02
Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2003: 5:40
New York City Marathon 2003: 7:35
London Flora Marathon 2004: 6:07
Glasgow City Half Marathon 2004: 2:33
Capital Radio Help a London Child 10,000 m
2004: 1:08
Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon 2004: 2:29:59
Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2011: 8:11:06
Hong Kong Marathon (10 km) 2012: 1:34
(raised $25,800 for charity)[27]
Hong Kong Marathon (10 km) 2013:
1:32:28 [28]
Awards
On 13 November 2003, Singh was awarded the
Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic
Coalition , a group that advocates ethnic pride and
tolerance. William Fugazy, the chairman of the
coalition, said Singh is a symbol of racial
tolerance, and his running helps bridge the gap
created by the 11 September terrorist attacks . "He
is the greatest inspiration," said Fugazy, and added
that Singh was the first non-American to receive
the honour. [29] He was awarded the "Pride of
India" title by a UK-based organisation for his
achievements in 2011. [30]
Punjab elections 2012
He attended an election rally at village Kukranwala
under the Raja Sansi constituency (near Amritsar)
for the Punjab People's Party candidate, where he
was reported to have extended his support for the
party. [31] However, the party was criticized by
Sikhs in the City for the "misuse of Fauja Singh for
political purposes", and for having "abused the
vulnerability of an old man for its own ends". [32]
Chardikala Run 2012
Fauja Singh was invited as a special guest for the
2nd Annual Chardikala Run in Malaysia. The run
was given a theme '101 and running' as a mark of
respect for Singh. He was given a warm crowd
response and was also presented with The
BrandLaureate Award on stage during the closing
ceremony.
Singh was given a warm response by the people of
Malaysia. He was escorted to the Chardikala
Charitable Fun Run venue, Astaka in Petaling Jaya,
by the Malaysian Bikers Group. Singh flagged off
the start of the Marathon. Fauja Singh's attitude
was praised especially because he had taken part
in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon on
the same morning, yet was in full spirits meeting,
greeting and being a major part of the successful
CCFR 2012.
References
1. ^ a b Wee, Lea (13 December 2012).
"Running gave him second wind". Straits
Times (Singapore). p. 24.
2. ^ a b "New Delhi Marathon runner Fauja
Singh to retire after one last run"
. 24 January 2013.
3. ^ a b "At 101, Fauja Singh completes his
final marathon"
. Agence France-Presse . 24 February 2013.
Retrieved 24 February 2013.
4. ^ Ashenden, Mark (30 June 2005). "Life
Begins at 90" . BBC News . Retrieved
2011-10-16.
5. ^ a b c d e Rana, Vijay (19 April 2004). "At
93, Adidas Marathon man Fauja runs with
god as partner"
. Indian Express. Retrieved 2011-10-18. "I
run while talking to God."
6. ^ "Runner, 94, finishes capital race" . BBC
News . 12 June 2005. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
7. ^ Iqbal, Nosheen (19 October 2011). "The
secret of the world's oldest marathon runner"
. The Guardian (London). Retrieved
2012-02-14.
8. ^ "The new face of adidas, 93" . London
Evening Standard . 30 March 2004. Retrieved
2012-02-14.
9. ^ "The Real Singh, the Real King (Fauja
Singh)" . Curry Bear . April 2010. Retrieved
2011-10-16.
10. ^ "94 year old breaks 5 records within 94
minutes"
. British Masters Athletic Federation.
Retrieved 2011-10-16.
11. ^ "Who Are The Oldest People On Our Planet?
And, Why Are They That Healthy?"
. Diabetes Diet Dialogue . 14 July 2007.
Retrieved 2011-10-16.
12. ^ "M100 Indian sets 8 world records in
succession? Check ID first"
. Masterstrack.com. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
13. ^ "100 Year Old Fauja Singh Sets EIGHT
World Records In A Row"
. Ontario Masters Athletics. 13 October 2011.
Retrieved 2011-10-16.
14. ^ "Another marathon milestone for
centenarian"
. The Tribune . 17 October 2011. Retrieved
2011-10-18.
15. ^ "Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon" .
Sport Stats. 16 October 2011. Retrieved
2011-10-16.
16. ^ Associated Press (24 October 2011). "Fauja
Singh, 100, won't make Guinness" .
ESPN.com . Retrieved 2011-10-24.
17. ^ ExpressIndia (30 March 2009). "Old birth
and death records find new room" .
ExpressIndia.com . Retrieved 2012-08-15.
18. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/24/
fauja-singh-marathon-no-record_n_
1028410.html?ir=UK
19. ^ "100-year-old marathoner Fauja Singh
becomes PETA's poster boy"
. The Times of India. 2011-10-21.
20. ^ "Fauja Singh, 101, dazzles in Olympic
Torch relay"
. The Times Of India . 21 July 2012.
21. ^ Turnbull, Simon (24 February 2013). "Age
catches up with Fauja Singh" . The
Independent (London). Retrieved 22 March
2013.
22. ^ a b "Fauja Singh: Marathoner, poster boy,
100 yrs old"
. NDTV. 8 Jul 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
23. ^ Carney, John (3 February 2012). "Marathon
man, 100, takes challenges in his stride"
. South China Morning Post . Retrieved
2012-02-14.
24. ^ Johnston, Lauren (17 October 2011). "100-
year-old Fauja Singh sets world record:
Oldest runner to complete a marathon"
. NY Daily News (New York). Retrieved
2011-10-18.
25. ^ Potter, Laura (20 June 2009). "Glad to be
grey" . The Guardian (London). Retrieved
2012-02-14.
26. ^ "100-year old Sikh marathoner's biography
released in Britain"
. Indian Express. 8 Jul 2011. Retrieved
2011-10-18.
27. ^ Nikolas, Katerina (6 February 2012). "Oldest
marathon runner 'Turbaned Torpedo' runs in
HK marathon"
. Digital Journal . Retrieved 2012-02-14.
28. ^ http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/
othersports/item/204074-at-101-fauja-
singh-completes-his-final-marathon?
pfrom=home-otherstories
29. ^ Osama Jeers Didn't Stop Sikh Marathon
Man, 92, by Austin Fenner
Daily News (New York) , Friday, 14 November
2003
30. ^ "Centenarian Fauja Singh does it again" .
The Times of India . 5 February 2012.
Retrieved 2012-02-14.
31. ^ "Fauja Singh runs for PPP" . Indian Express .
24 Jan 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
32. ^ "100-year-old marathoner's family miffed
with political party"
. NDTV. 25 Jan 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
External links
Passage on Fauja Singh, The Oldest Marathon
Runner
(Sikh Personalities)
"Life begins at 90" ( BBC Sport )
Biography in The Sikh Times
REDIFF article regarding ADIDAS deal
Sikhs in the City Running Team
Roll Over Bannister , Article in Outlook magazine
"Fauja Singh Reflection Healthy Living" . Sangat
TV (in Punjabi). 4 February 2011. Retrieved
2011-10-19. "Fauja Singh gives some tips on
how to be healthy, happy and holy."
"Michael Mosley meets 101-year-old Fauja
Singh"
. 6 August 2012. " BBC Horizon 's Michael
Mosley interviews Fauja Singh as he becomes
the world record holder for oldest marathon
runner."