Centenarian athlete Man Kaur completed her life’s race at 105

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Man Kaur
Man Kaur (File)

Champion of many International Masters competitions and gold medalist athlete 105 year old Man Kaur was cremated at Chandigarh , the Capital of Punjab. Born on March 1, 1916 in historical Patiala , Man Kaur breathed her last at a Dera Bassi Hospital near Mohali on Saturday afternoon. Diagnosed with gallbladder and liver cancers earlier this year only , Man Kaur was admitted in hospital. At the time of death her 83-year-old son athlete Gurdev Singh was there in hospital.

Last year in March, Man Kaur surprised everyone when she came here to receive Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi. It was probably her last public appearance.

Man Kaur
Gurdev Singh sitting near the body of mother Man Kaur.

Man Kaur wanted to work for the health of obese policemen. She was worried about the increasing number of such personnel in the police forces and especially in Punjab Police. She shared her point of view and intention to work on this plan with the Rakshak News team in 2019.

Man kaur was treated at Indore hospital as well and seeking treatment at the Dera Bassi’s Shudhi Hospital. According to Gurdev Singh his mother had shown signs of recovery and was in good health till Saturday morning. Cardiac arrest seems to be the cause of her sudden death.

Man Kaur
Man Kaur (File)

A native of Patiala , a young Kaur was one of the caretakers for the queens and children at the royal Patiala family of the then Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and later for the family of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, father of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Man Kaur’s husband Ranjeet Singh was one of the khansamas (Cook) of the royal house and Kaur also took care of the children in the royal family during those days.

Man Kaur
Man Kaur with editor of Rakshak News Sanjay Vohra (left) and son Gurdev Singh (file photo)

Ranjeet Singh and Man Kaur shifted to Chandigarh in the 1960s and it was not until the age of 93 that she started running.She used to go for morning walks with her son and during that period she developed her love for running. Actually , it was at the insistence of Gurdev Singh that Kaur started running and also won her first medal in the Chandigarh Masters Athletics meet in 2007. She won the gold in 100 m as well 200 m race in the National Masters Athletics meet in 2011.

The same year, Man Kaur would become the 100 m and 200 m champion in the World Masters Athletics Championships in the United States. Not only this, she was also adjudged the best athlete. But the World Masters Athletics Championships in Auckland in 2017 got her into the limelight. At that time she was 101 year old and became champion in the 100 m in the 100+ category in this Championship.

Man Kaur
Indraj Singh (Right) with Man Kaur and son Gurdev Singh (File photo)

After competing in the Asian Masters Championships in 2019, Man Kaur had stopped participating at international events but her training continued. She was hopeful of competing in last year’s World Masters Championship in Canada which got cancelled due to the pandemic. Man Kaur was nominated along with five other international athletes for the Laureus best Sporting Moment of Year 2018 competition. Last year in March, Kaur was also given the Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi.

Kaur had been training at Patiala in Punjabi University campus premises , where the government had provided accommodation , with her son Gurdev Singh before she came to Chandigarh. Man Kaur had celebrated her 105th birthday at her daughter Amrit Kaur’s home in Chandigarh.