Tallest man longs for love

8' 1" Turk (26) says women are scared of him

Tallest man longs for love

8' 1" Turk (26) says women are scared of him

Sultan Kosen (26) blotted out the iconic Tower Bridge as he posed for photographs on the banks of the River Thames in his first ever trip outside his native Turkey.

He takes over the title from China's Bao Xishun, who stands 'just' seven feet 8.95 inches tall.

He said he hoped his newfound celebrity status would enable him "to travel and see the world and have a car that accommodates my size.''

Towering Presence:u00a0Sultan Kosen stands next to a 10-year-old boy during a photocall next to Tower Bridge, in London, yesterday. He uses walking sticks and tires quickly if he is standing.

"My biggest dream though, is to get married and have children. I'm looking for love. It's really difficult to find a girlfriend. They are usually scared of me,'' he said.

The Turk also has the world's largest hands and largest feet, measuring 27.5 centimetres (10.8 inches) and 36.5 centimetres (14.4 inches) respectively.

And his giant hands dwarfed those proffered by amazed wellwishers as he turned heads in London, while reporters strained to get their microphones within reach of his head.

Kosen was unable to complete his schooling because of his extreme height, but works occasionally as a farmer to support his family.

The extreme difficulty of squeezing into a regular-sized car is one of the main disadvantages of his height, but he says it comes in handy for replacing light bulbs and hanging curtains for his mother.

Tumour trouble

Kosen has three brothers and a sister, who are all normal-sized, but his rate of growth surged from the age of 10 because of a tumour which caused too much growth hormone to be released from his pituitary gland.
u00a0
The tumour was successfully removed in surgery and he finally stopped growing last year.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels