Sports

Scottish & Proud of it

by JONATHAN RENNIE

Maybe it's the grins, or perhaps it's the yellow turbans. Or maybe it is the sight of one of the group, who looks old enough to be a great-grandad, running faster than a 20-something.

Whatever it is, the sight of the Scottish Sikhs training in Bellahouston Park (Glasgow, Scotland) attracts a lot of smiles from the public.

In the five years they have been running together, they have raised thousands for charity and run all over the world.

It is amazing to think that so many positives were born from such negative beginnings.

Charanjit Singh Sangha and friend Makhan Singh Sangha had been running together for years without any hassles, but post-9/11, things changed.

In 2003, Charanjit joined Makhan for his first London marathon. It was a painful experience.

"We were somewhere near the 20th mile, when all of a sudden I heard chants and people pointing at us, calling us Bin Laden'", says Charanjit, 52. "I got really upset, but Makhan kept telling me to ignore it, keep running. Then another part of the crowd was calling us Saddam Hussein.

"I was exhausted and it was the kind of thing that just made me want to quit.

"But on the plane home we thought, well, why don't we do something to make people realize who we are? That we are Sikhs, and we are Scottish.

"We have our own identity and we are proud of it".

And so the Scottish Sikhs were born.

Returning the following year in saffron T-shirts (a colour important in their religion), sporting the words "Scottish Sikhs" and a thistle and Saltire, the mood was different.

The crowds cheered them on, the TV cameras followed them, and on the finishing straights at Buckingham Palace, the commentator encouraged the crowd to start cheering on the Scottish Sikhs.

"It was sheer elation", says Dilbag Singh Sandhu, 53.

Things were even more incredible last year.

"The London Marathon was held on St George's Day last year, so the city was filled with England flags and shirts - so we really stood out", says Charanjit.

"When we were getting searched at the airport, the guard, who was Scottish, said, 'It's you guys, I saw you on the television in the race. Let me shake your hand'.

"All of a sudden lots of people were coming over. We ended up causing a huge queue at Heathrow!

"It was a complete change to how things were a few years before".

Their fame has become worldwide. Between the seven men training at Bellahouston Park today, they have a haul of medals that they estimate total at least 1000.

Most of them come from one man  -  Amrik Singh.

At 77, he is the oldest member of the group, and the man who turned most of them on to running. The West Ender had been taking part in marathons and races for almost thirty years.

Getting in conversation about where he has raced would make you think you were talking to professional Steve Cram.

The slight OAP has competed in twenty London Marathons, numerous New York and Berlin Marathons, and in places like France, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

This year, the guys have already run in Lisbon, London and Edinburgh.

Since the Scottish Sikhs formed, an English group, calling themselves the English Sikhs, have formed and they go head to head with each other.

"It is all good fun", says Dilbag. "But we're better! Even our name is better!"

In the five years that the Scottish Sikhs have been together, they have raised more than £70,000 for charity.

Most of the money comes from the Great Scottish Run, where they take part with community radio station Awaz FM, raising money for charities including Yorkhill and Macmillan Cancer Care.

For this year's Great Scottish Run - of which the Evening Times is the media partner - they are raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation.

Running under the Awaz FM banner, there will be around fifty Scottish Sikhs taking part in the September 7 race. But there is one team that they have no intention of joining.

"We were asked by the English Sikhs if we wanted to join forces with them as the British Sikhs", smiles Charanjit. "As much as we like them, we had to say no!

"We'll keep on running with our Saltires on our backs and our thistles on our chests! This group is most definitely Scottish!"

[Courtesy: The Evening Times] 

July 25, 2008

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