POKHARA, Nepal: A Nepalese teenager whose tiny stature has made him a celebrity in his homeland entered the record books as the world's shortest man on Thursday as he celebrated his 18th birthday. Khagendra Thapa Magar takes over from 24-year-old Edward “Nino” Hernandez from Colombia, who loses the title after just five weeks, following final checks that found his Nepalese rival was 0.4 inches (one centimeter) smaller. A team of Guinness World Records adjudicators put Magar's official height at 26.4 inches (67.08 centimeters) after taking final measurements early Thursday, and named him the new record-holder. “Khagendra Thapa Magar is now officially the shortest man in the world,” said head of global records Marco Frigatti at a ceremony in the picturesque Himalayan town of Pokhara in central Nepal, near where Magar grew up. “We want to congratulate Khagendra Thapa Magar and his family for this feat. This is a big day for Nepal.” Magar, the son of a fruit seller from rural Nepal who weighs just 6.5 kilograms (14 pounds), says he dreams of marrying and travelling the world in his wife's handbag. He has already met the prime minister on several occasions, been named a tourism ambassador and made headlines across the world when he travelled to New York and London last month on a publicity drive. His family had previously laid claim to the record, but the teenager needed to reach his 18th birthday before being officially recognized. In Pokhara, a lakeside town popular with tourists, shouts of recognition greeted the teenager wherever he went this week, and Magar's father said his son was enjoying the attention. – Agence France
