Budhia Singh

On 2nd May, 2006, Budhia Singh walked into record books as the four year old wonder boy who covered a distance of 65 kms in just seven hours and two minutes. But that seems to have been his first and last claim to fame. Except for one time after that, when on April 13, 2008, he was caught on camera mourning the brutal killing of his coach and mentor Biranchi Das, from whom he was parted a year ago.

Budhia Singh had become a national hero overnight, after registering his name as the youngest marathoner of India in 2006. But this honeymoon was short lived. The Orissa women and child welfare department issued an order that Singh can’t participate in any sporting event as excessive running may harm his health and can kill his talent forever. But Das, his coach, disobeyed this order. Meanwhile, Singh's mother, Sukanti Singh, brought allegations that Das was exploiting his son for pecuniary benefits. Singh then left his coach’s place, where he was staying for three years, and shifted to his mother’s.

This controversy took an ugly turn when Budhia spoke against his mentor. “He hung me upside down from a ceiling fan and once locked me in a room for two days without food,”  he said. Following this, on August 13, 2007, Das was arrested by police on suspicion of torture. But this landed Singh in a slum, and sources close to Das alleged that Singh's mother had sold him to a stranger as she couldn't afford to feed him. Das took Singh under his wing once again. However, amidst this controversy, on September 21, 2007, the government ordered that Singh be shifted to a sports hostel at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar.

It's been four years now, and Singh is nine years old. Early one morning at the stadium, we found him practicing with his coach, Rupanwita Panda. When asked whether he watched the Commonwealth Games, the tracksuit clad Singh replied in the negative. He doesn't seem to have a hero either, but certainly wants to win a medal.

About participating in any competition, Panda, his coach, ventures: “Singh is only nine right now. He has to be 14 to be eligible to participate in any event. His also has to improve technically.” So till such time that he can't enter a track event, Singh practices in the stadium till 8am, after which he studies in Class Four of an English medium school in Bhubaneswar. Not keen to study, this fast-footed boy often has to go over his school work with a private tutor. Quiz him on who the Prime Minister of India is, and he replies: “That person wearing a cap.” When his coach corrects him: “It is not a cap, it is a pagdi. And he is Dr Manmohan Singh", the record holder says:  “Right,  right".