It was a meeting of epic proportions when the world’s tallest and shortest men caught up in London to mark the tenth annual Guinness World Records Day.
Standing at a towering 2.51 metres, Turkey’s Sultan Kosen has shaken hands with Nepal’s Chandra Bahadue Dangi, who is just 55 centimetres tall!
While Sultan, 31, is so tall that he can touch a basketball hoop without jumping, 71-year-old Chandra’s tiny frame has been compared to that of six stacked cans of baked beans.
Proving size isn’t everything, the men didn’t let height stand in the way of their special get together, meeting each other for the first time.
In fact, despite the two-meter difference, the pair happily posed for photos in front of London’s iconic Big Ben and got on like a house on fire.
“I was very interested how tall he was going to be, about how far up my legs he would go, and of course once I saw him I realised how tiny he was,” Sultan said.
Sporting a dark suit and red tie, Sultan, who also holds the record for having the biggest hands in the world, said while it was “amazing” finally meeting Mr Dangi, bending so far down for photos and chats wasn’t easy.
“I do have problems with my knees so if I stand too long I do get tired,” he said.
“Even though he is short and I am tall, we have had similar struggles throughout our lives and when I look into Chandra’s eyes I can see he is a good man.”
Sultan became the world’s tallest living man back in 2009. His astounding growth is the result of a tumour affecting his pituary gland.
Meanwhile Chandra, a primordial dwarf who made his way into the record books in 2012, was thrilled to meet Sultan and is looking forward to the pair staying in touch.
“I was very pleased to see the tallest man in the world, I was curious to meet my extreme opposite,” Chandra said.
“I’m so pleased to be a Guinness record holder.
“Thanks to this I have visited many countries and met many people. I really love it.”
Sultan and Chandra were joined by other record-breakers from around the globe on their recent catch-up to celebrate the all things weird, wacky and wonderful.
