Fauja Singh aged 101,inspiring run in Olympic Torch relay
Punjab-born Fauja
Singh, who defies age to run marathons, drew the loudest cheers on
Saturday as the Olympic Torch was carried by him, Olympic medal winners
and leading individuals through London amidst a welcome clear sky and
sunshine.
Clad
in all-white apparel and a matching white turban, the sprightly Singh
carried the torch accompanied by hundreds of admirers, including Sikhs
with yellow T-shirts bearing Singh's image, who hailed him every moment
of the distance he travelled.
Singh was born in 1911, and began running at 86 to keep himself occupied.
He
has since set several records for people of his age, running six London
marathons, two Canada marathons and the New York marathon.
Clearly
a bit of a sensation for his achievements, his participation in the
relay on Saturday was described by admirers and onlookers as "a moment
of history".
Singh,
who carried the Olympics Torch in Athens eight years ago, now wants to
carry it before the 2016 Olympics too, when he will be 105.
Hundreds of Sikhs organised a 'langar' at 16 points along the torch relay route to celebrate Fauja Singh's efforts.
The
torch from Greenwich to Waltham Forest was carried by several
Olympians, including Nadia Comaneci, and Indian-origin individuals who
have excelled in various fields, such as Kaushali Trivedi (23), Natasha
Sinha (15), Priya Rajgor (20) and Dhrashti Shah (16).
The relay's youngest and oldest (Fauja Singh) were among the 143 torch-bearers on Saturday.
The
youngest was Chester Chambers, 12, who was nominated for representing
his classmates, fundraising and helping to develop an anti-bullying
campaign.
Saturday was the first day of the Olympics torch's seven-day tour of London in the final countdown to the Games.
Hopes
that the constant rains of the last few weeks will give way to sunshine
during the Olympics were realised, as Saturday's relay was held amidst a
clear sky.
United
Sikhs, the charity organisation that organised the 'langar',
distributed thousands of 'roti rolls' along the torch relay route.
The
'langar' was held to "celebrate the wonderful achievements of this
under-spoken treasure of the Sikh community", organisers said.
Parvinder
Kaur, manager of the 'langar' project, said: "We are proud to share
with the public the 500-year-old Sikh tradition of serving free meals to
celebrate the carrying of the Olympic Torch by Bhai Fauja Singh".
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