Marathon boy Budhia Singh missing from SAI hostel in Odisha

The Loneliness of Long Distance Runner – Budhia Singh

His coach, Rupanita Panda, said that she had sent two letters to Budhia’s mother, who stays in Saliasahi slum of Bhubaneswar, last month. But there has been no word on his whereabouts, she said.

Budhia’s elder sister, Sasmita Singh, said her brother had gone to their uncle’s place and may return later this month.

The marathon prodigy was admitted to the SAI hostel in September 2007 after the Odisha government, acting on the advice of Khurda District Child Welfare Committee, banned him from running marathon, saying “it may lead to growth retardation due to damage at the growing ends of the long bones”. His late coach, Biranchi Das, however was eager to see him run the marathon at the Olympics.

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At the SAI hostel, the state government has been paying for his education, clothes and food. But Budhia did not seem to like staying in the hostel.

In April this year, he had told The Indian Express that he was desperate to leave the hostel. “All that I am getting to run in the hostel is a measly 1,500 metres. I’m being told to improve my speed by my coach, but I don’t know how far it would help me. I don’t like running sprints, but that’s what I am being asked to,” he had said.

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“I want specialised coaching for marathon running. I believe that I’m born to run marathons. Even now, I can run for more hours without getting tired. I’m neither getting the required coaching nor the food. I get just about 3 to 4 pieces of chicken, while I was being fed more by Biranchi sir when I was four years old. I feel like I’m in a jail. I want to leave the hostel,” he had then complained.

He also disliked the regimented life in the hostel. “I wake up at 5 and then practice at the stadium between 6 am to 8.30 am. Then I go to school and come back by 4.30 pm. I practice at the stadium between 5 pm to 7 pm after which I sit down for studies,” he had said.