A four-year-old child,Budhia Singh, sold by his mother, has been labeled as ‘marathon boy’ after he ran 65 km (40 miles), but detractors have accused his coach of risking the boy’s health for cash, which has locked Das in a feud.
Even though doctors strongly condemned the act of making a 4 year old boy run 65 kms’, CRPF along with sports minister Debashis Nayak were overexcited about the event, despite the risk factor involved with boy’s life.
But inspite of all the controversies it was a big gala for wonder kid Budhia Singh. Trouncing all odds, the four-year-old boy effectively completed a 65-km marathon from Puri to Bhubaneswar, running with out any break in full public glare.
All this has no doubt has given swift popularity to Budhia in India; he has suddenly become leading light for Indian media that started comparing him to Forest Gump.
Budhia is believed to be the world’s youngest marathon runner, but whether he is a child prodigy with an Olympic future or a victim of maltreatment maneuvered by a blowhard and egomaniacal coach it’s yet to be discovered.
