Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday mourned the loss of centenarian long-distance runner Fauja Singh, hailing him as ‘an exceptional athlete with incredible determination’ after news broke of Singh’s death at the age of 114.
Singh, revered globally as the world’s oldest marathon runner, passed away on Monday in a road accident in Beas Pind, his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab.
Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “Fauja Singh Ji was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness. He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.”
An unidentified vehicle struck the Indian-British Sikh athlete, known for his Punjabi roots, as he crossed a road in his native village.
Fauja Singh inspired millions with his strength and resilience, having run numerous marathons well past his 100th birthday. He took up long-distance running later in life, reportedly completing over 100 marathons.
Born on 1 April 1911 in undivided Punjab, Singh began running at the age of 81 to cope with grief after losing his fifth son in a construction accident in 1994.
He emigrated to England in the 1990s and began competing internationally at age 89.
Settling in Ilford with one of his sons, Singh soon gained worldwide fame for setting records in the 90-plus age category.
In addition to marathons, he participated in various long-distance events within the Master’s division.
At age 100, he achieved eight world age group records in a single day during the Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Canada.
The biography ‘Turbaned Tornado’ chronicled his life story, launched at the Attlee Room in Britain’s House of Lords on 7 July 2011.
Fauja Singh was also a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics and was honoured with the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2015 New Year Honours for his contributions to sport and charity.
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