Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

`I'll train Budhia for the Olympics'

Ramesh Susarla

Guntur: Long-distance running sensation Budhia Singh has a special ability, says his coach Biranchi Das. None has qualified for the Olympic Marathon from India so far, I wish to prepare Budhia for the event and the first step will be to participate in the junior marathon at the age of 12 years," said Mr. Das.

"The Orissa Government was putting hurdles at every stage for Budhia, but we are not perturbed by that and Budhia will get his special physical abilities tested scientifically," he said. "The Army Sports Academy at Pune is Asia's best and I wish to get his special physical attributes assessed there," he added. Biranchi Das was prepared to send Budhia to London and other nations from where he had got invitations following his 65-km run. Tracing Budhia's background, he said that Budhia born on February 10, 2002, had nothing to eat as a child as his mother could not afford anything more than two biscuits a day and even sold him to a hawker for Rs.800. Biranchi Das compensated the money to the hawker and got him back to the Gautham Nagar slum, where he runs his Judo Coaching centre.

Budhia's mother Sukanthi earns Rs.250 a month as domestic help and father Krishna Singh, a beggar, died soon after Budhia's birth.

Budhia's three sisters and himself now go to school thanks to the initiative of Biranchi Das and his wife., who is also a sports coach. The coach believes that in course of time he will ensure that Budhia's name enters the Guinness Book of World Records.

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