World's oldest marathoner (114-year-old) Fauja Singh was cremated on Sunday with full state honours in Punjab's Beas. Singh was hit by an SUV being driven by Canada-based Amritpal Singh Dhillon on July 14. He was crossing the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway when the accident took place.
Singh's son Harvinder Singh lit the funeral pyre. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and Minister Mohinder Bhagat were present at the funeral. Governor Kataria recalled how Fauja Singh walked with him during a Nasha Mukt yatra — an anti-drug campaign – last year. He said that after walking for 1 km, he asked him to stop, but to his surprise, Fauja Singh insisted that they walk.
Mourners started thronging Fauja Singh's house in Beas early in the day. His body was kept in a glass casket with his photograph beside it to allow the people to take a last look at the running legend. Later, his body was carried in a decked-up hearse to the cremation ground.
Also Read: The Fauja Singh story
Fauja Singh was a source of inspiration for everyone, said Kataria, while speaking to reporters, after paying floral tributes to him at his house. CM Mann said Fauja Singh participated in many marathon races and made the country proud with his achievements. He proposed that the village school be named after Singh and a statue in his honour be erected at the sports college in Jalandhar.
Political leaders including Congress MLAs Pargat Singh, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Hardev Singh Laddi, Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, AAP MLA Balkar Singh, AAP leader Pawan Kumar Tinu and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema attended the cremation.
Another relative, Paramjit Singh, said he had spoken to Fauja Singh around 20-25 days back and inquired about the health of his family. He said the whole family was proud of his achievements. Another family member said Fauja Singh was quite particular about his walk. When he would visit family members in Canada and if there was snow outside, he would walk in the house, he said. He knew in how many steps he covered a mile during his walk, said the relative.
Fauja Singh's career as a marathon runner began when he was 89. He would go on to become a global icon, gaining the nickname 'Turbaned Tornado' for his endurance and athleticism.
Fauja Singh became the first centenarian to complete a marathon, earning multiple records while participating in international events. He ran in marathons in London, New York, and Hong Kong. Among the most memorable of his runs was in 2011 when he turned 100. The invitational meet in Toronto was named in his honour, and he broke several world records for his age group. A largely nonchalant Fauja Singh had spent a better part of his running career in Britain and returned to his roots just about three years ago after retiring.
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