Cyclists ride 80 km to bid final farewell to Fauja Singh in Jalandhar

Riders from Jalandhar, Phagwara and Nakodar rode for 50km to 80 km to Beas Pind in Jalandhar to pay their final tributes to “turbaned tornado” Fauja Singh this morning.

Starting from their locations at 5.30 am, they reached Fauja Singh’s village between 6 am and 6.30 am and spent nearly an hour there to pay their last respects to the world’s oldest marathon runner.

Representing their local clubs, the initiative was jointly undertaken under the banner of the Sky Riders Club for which 25 to 30 people undertaking the ride amid heat of the partially sunny skies. They all had a common goal – expressing their love for their idol 114-year-old Fauja Singh – whose life was cut short by a tragic accident on July 14.

The riders included doctors, professors, coaches, sports veterans and students – all inspired by Fauja’s journey.

Baljit Kaur, former hockey coach and member of the cycling club, said, “Fauja Singh’s death was emotional for all of us. We unanimously decided to pay him our last tributes. Even in our personal encounters, he was the most humorous and spirited man. We saw his medals, and photographs and stayed at his house for 15 to 20 minutes and returned after paying tributes to him. We also think his belongings and memorabilia should be preserved as a museum so that students can take inspiration.”

Amarpreet Kaur, 57-year-old former teacher at the Kendriya Vidyalaya, said, “A turbaned man running across the world – Fauja Singh gave Punjab its pride of place on the world map. I had joint pains. But his journey inspired me to take up cycling. I thought this feisty man started at 89, can’t I start at 57? We have all been touched by his spirit. We did not want to miss the opportunity to pay him our last respects. We owe a lot to him. We spent time at his home too and interacted with his daughters. Since we had to cycle back 50 km or more, we started the trip early on. I myself rode over 48 km this morning.”

Gurpreet Singh Bains, a professor and also member of the Phagwara Cycling Club, said, “Fauja Singh lives on in our heart and we carry a bit of him in all our souls. This was a trip to tell him that he will live on in our hearts.”