The Prince of Wales awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) to 74-year-old man dubbed the skipping Sikh for starring in exercise videos that inspired his community during lockdown.
Rajinder Singh also known as the 'Skipping Sikh', was made an MBE for services to health and fitness during Covid-19 after raising more than £14,000 for the NHS by sharing his skipping videos on social media.
The Royal Family's shared the honour on Twitter saying, "Rajinder Harzall was awarded an MBE for for services to Health & Fitness. Dubbed ‘The Skipping Sikh’ online, his exercise videos for the elderly went viral during lockdown as he promoted fitness and exercise from home".
Speaking after the ceremony at St James's Palace - hosted by the Prince of Wales, Singh said, "I'm very grateful for this honour". "I spoke with Prince Charles and he said he will try skipping, and then he said we were born in the same month. He was very pleased", he added.
Wearing his distinctive orange turban and “Skipping Sikh” sports jacket at the ceremony, he said: “The turban makes it harder to skip because you have to raise (the rope) higher.
On October 10, Rajinder Singh Harzall was featured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2020 that felicitates recipients for their "outstanding contribution to British society". This list has 1,495 honours and 13 per cent of the awardees are from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities. Harzall received an MBE for his services to health and fitness in a pandemic.
