105-yr-old Fauja Singh participates in ‘Run for Health’

Turbaned Tornado Fauja Singh participated in the ‘Run for Health’ organised by the physical education department on the Punjabi University campus in Patiala on Wednesday. Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh flagged off the event in which a large number of students participated.

In a grey T-shirt, black lower and yellow turban, the centenarian marathon runner ran across the university campus with students and faculty members.

105-year-old Fauja Singh said that he was very much happy and delighted to participate in the run with university students. He said he enjoyed visiting Punjab every year, which provides food and energy to my soul.

Revealing the secret of his fitness, Fauja Singh said that he walked around 5-7 km daily and exercises regularly to keep his body fit. In diet, he preferred pulses as a routine, but in little quantity and avoids overeating but loved ‘barfi’ in the sweet dish.

At this age, he said that he gets the motivation and energy to run only from God.

“I have received great respect and honour across the world just because of my turban. In the initial race, I was asked to run without a turban which I refused. Later, organisers granted permission to go ahead with the turban,” Singh added.

Fauja Singh said that Indian girls have great potential, which was recently seen in the Olympics. Parents must provide proper platform to girls so that they can show their calibre to the entire world, he said.

He said England and Indian sports cultures were totally different. In England, people preferred to put their children in sports from the very childhood and spent a lot on their training. But, in India, people preferred education, then job and keep sports as the last option.

He also expressed concern over drugs in Punjab saying that it hurts him a lot because he had seen a glorious Punjab and hope that good days would come again soon.