Rambai Maan is living proof that age is just a number.
Popularly known as “super granny”, the 106-year-old was feted by the New Delhi government this month for her exemplary contribution to Indian sports, the honour adding yet another feather to the centurion’s well-plumed cap.
The matriarch’s professional athletic career took off in June 2021 at the ripe old age of 104, when she ran 100m and 200m sprint races at the National Masters Athletics Championship in Vadodara, Gujarat.
After the sporting event, the centurion became an overnight social media sensation. Top ministers congratulated her, while young girls tweeted how they aspired to be like her. A runaway success, literally, Maan has since bagged 21 golds and five trophies in national events across various states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
“It’s been two years since I started taking part in professional competitions and it feels great to win. Youngsters ask for selfies with me,” Maan tells The National during a video call from her village, Kadma, in the northern Indian state of Haryana. The state has produced some of India’s best sportspeople, including Olympian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.
Born on January 1, 1917 when India was still under British rule, the matriarch’s biggest cheerleaders are her daughter Santra Devi, granddaughter Sharmila Sangwan, and great-granddaughter Jasmine Gahlwat. “My granddaughter Sharmila, who is also a runner and regularly participates in athletics meetings, has been a big motivator. She handles my tournament schedules and drives me to all practice sessions,” Maan says.
Sangwan says the entire Maan family consists of proud sportspeople, who have won numerous awards and prizes. “But we’re most proud of granny’s achievements. She’s a source of inspiration for all of us. What I love most about her is her childlike enthusiasm. I feel blessed to help her achieve her ambitions at this age when most people lead retired lives.”
Ever since Maan’s husband, Nihal Singh, died 25 years ago, she has been living with her two septuagenarian sons. “My four daughters and my grandkids visit me often. We’re very tight as a family and love spending time together. I love singing bhajans [hymns] and folk songs, and cooking for them when we’re all together. We laugh a lot and eat good food,” Maan says.
The athlete adds that she “feels blessed” to have witnessed six generations of her family in her lifetime. “I’ve attended the marriages of my great grandsons and held their kids in my arms. What more can a grandmother ask for?” she says.
“People keep asking me about the secret of my health, and I tell them it is my loving family. Also, if you live a physically active life, it keeps you healthy. Even at this age, I face no medical issues like arthritis, diabetes, blood pressure. I take no medicines.”
Conscious of her fitness and diet, she is particular about drinking only buffalo milk, which her family feels is the secret to her super-fit physique. “Also, instead of rice or wheat, which she steers clear of, granny prefers bread made from super-grain millet. She consumes 500g of curd and 250g of ghee every day in addition to eating a portion of churma [an Indian dessert made from flour, ghee and sugar]. She consumes only organic produce grown in the village,” Sangwan adds.
A busy schedule means Maan gets up at the crack of dawn to work in the fields, cook and do all the household chores. This is followed by running four kilometres around the village.
“Ever since I’ve been participating in tournaments, fellow villagers always stop me to ask what I’m up to next. They keep track of my competitions and also tell me they follow articles on me. This motivates me to do my best,” she says.
Staying active, participating in social and community gatherings, celebrating festivals and helping others whenever possible further gives her strength, Maan says. Despite her phenomenal success, however, the going hasn’t been smooth for the matriarch. “Corporate sponsorship is hard to come by, especially for women athletes in the country … and at her age. But we do our best to make granny happy,” Sangwan says.
Maan’s success has spurred her to set her sights on international competitions now, and she hopes to get her passport soon.
“While running at home is great, I’m keen to bring international laurels to my country as well,” she says. “All you need is passion to excel. If you have that, nothing can stop you.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
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Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
