DAEGU — Sawang Janpram, 106, is no ordinary centenarian. The Thai athlete is among more than 11,000 participants from 106 countries taking part in the World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC) under way in the southern Korean city of Daegu. The event brings together former star athletes and amateurs, from Janpram, its oldest competitor, to Korean Olympic marathon champion Hwang Young-jo. For senior athletes like Janpram, the sports event is a chance to prove that age is just a number. The Thai athlete began exercising at age 80 and entered his first sporting competition at 97. He has since won 78 medals. In 2025, he competed in the World Masters Games in Taiwan, also as the event's oldest participant, and won four gold medals in the men's 100-meter track, shot put, discus throw and javelin throw. At the Daegu championships, Janpram is set to compete in the discus throw on Thursday and javelin throw on Saturday, alongside other male contestants aged 95 and older. The Thai athlete, who began exercising with the help of his daughter Siripan, 74, said he took up exercise after seeing a clo