There’s a twinkle in his wrinkle

Jagjit Singh Kathuria likes to say he is 84 years young.

The Papatoetoe resident has just returned from Perth with a haul of medals after taking part in the 18th Edition of the Australian Masters Games.

He is not shy to list his accomplishments. "I have won four gold, four silver, and four bronze medals. I participated in 13 events, including throws and the pentathlon. I was disqualified from one event for reaching late, even though the event had not started. My competitors came from Australia, NZ, India, Singapore, Thailand and Sri Lanka, and other countries.”

The ex-Principal arrived in New Zealand from India in 2008.  By then, Kathuria, the best athlete of Malwa Training College in 1958 , was no longer active.

But all that changed when he met Man Kaur in NZ in 2017. The centurion and track-and-field star inspired  Kathuria to return to sport. Since then, he has never looked back.

"Main to apneaapko ko buddha nahikehta,, aur koi kehtahai to main mana kartahoon ki mujhebudda mat kaho ( I don't feel old, and if someone calls me old, I tell them don’t call me old), says Kathuria, who advocates fitness for senior citizens.

Kathuria follows a daily regimen which includes a 3 km walk capped by calisthenics and yoga.

The octogenarian, mentored by his coach at the Pakuranga Club, has set his sights on the upcoming South Island Masters Games in Timaru, which takes place in October, as well as the Pan Pacific Masters Games at the Gold Coast in November.

“My dream is to participate in the World Masters Games,” Kathuria says, wistfully.