The 81-year-old Sardar Balbir Singh Basra has achieved yet another milestone by winning Rotorua Marathon (21 kms in 2 hours and 40 minutes) and Huntley Marathon (21kms in 2 hours and 30 minutes) with a gap of just five days between two events. Sardar Balbir Singh has been a regular participant in Auckland Round the Bay Marathon for over 14 years where he achieved a record of 42 kms in 4 hours and 43 minutes and 59 seconds.

While most of his contemporaries and friends have retired and enjoying the perks of retired life Sardar Balbir just loves to keep going as long as he can. His family members say that he has been used to of walking up to 50 kms routinely, back in his native village in Punjab in India so running a marathon of 41 kms is a cake walk for him. At the age of 81 he physical and mentally very fit and active and he aims to pursue his passion as long he can. Former NZ First MP Mahesh Bindra honoured Sardar Balbir Basra at a felicitation ceremony held at Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar in Papatoetoe, recently. This humble and unassuming gentleman is truly the pride of Kiwi-Indian community. -TIN Bureau