Life

Run Budhia Run

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The Orissa government has banned a four-year-old boy who ran 40 miles in seven hours from marathons out of fear for his health. Budhia Singh, who has variously been dubbed a wonder child and India’s Forrest Gump, was vying for a entry in the Limca Book of Records when he was stopped by state officials wary that he was suffering from extreme exhaustion and risked serious injury from exposure in Orissa’s torrid heat.

Budhia, born in a slum, is under training with a judo coach Biranchi Das, who claims to have rescued him from a villager to whom he had been sold for $18 by his mother after his father died.

Several prominent former Indian athletes, including runners Milka Singh and P T Usha, have denounced Das for exploiting the child for cheap publicity and the Orissa government has threatened to arrest him for child cruelty. Das in turn in threatening to move to another state.
Looks like both will be on the run.

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