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A Bahrain-based expatriate has become one of the elite few Guinness World Record-holders, joining an association that has always been close to his heart in setting a unique record, perfectly suited for the new normal, writes Naman Arora.
Shahzad ur Rehman Haider, who was born and raised in Bahrain, joined 443 members of the Dwarf Sports Association UK (DSA), in setting the record for the ‘longest video chain to catch and pass a tennis ball.’
The record was set in May with more than 444 individuals diagnosed with dwarfism, submitting videos of each one catching a tennis ball, apparently from one of their peers, and passing it to another, virtually.
“I have been associated with the DSA since I pursued my MBA there, and I have been fascinated with the Guinness Book of World Records since my parents bought me a big, fat copy of it during my childhood,” the Hamad Town resident with Pakistani heritage told GulfWeekly.
“One day, I saw a Facebook post by the DSA UK to take part in the longest video chain to catch and pass a tennis ball. Initially, I was reluctant as I am not in the UK, but after I wrote to them, they were kind enough to accept me as an overseas participant.”
Shahzad recorded his clip in the video at one of Bahrain’s malls, and found himself a bit self-conscious as passers-by kept staring, trying to figure out what he was doing.
“One of the children even stopped and asked if he could play with me!” Shahzad added. “I ended up tossing the ball with him and his sister for some time, which was quite a lot of fun!”
Shahzad credits his sister Aniqa for her support and for always being there for him, and hopes his parents, who have passed away, are “watching proudly from above”.
With one record already under his belt, Shahzad is already on the hunt for more Guinness World Records to break or set.
