Four-year-old running prodigy Budhia Singh collapsed due to low blood sugar during a 40-mile run last Tuesday:
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The Running Man |
Diagnosing Budhia’s collapse during Tuesday’s 65-km run as hypoglycemia, where blood sugar level falls, a doctor feared the boy could suffer serious injuries by the time he reaches 15 if there is periosteal tear on the bones. [Link]
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p>Doctors have examined him and said he should not be allowed to ultramarathon until he’s older:
… the panel headed by the chief medical officer of Capital Hospital… is said to have noted that the boy’s serum urea, potassium and ALKP (alkaline phosphatase) levels were on the higher side. “Signs of under-nourishment, vitamin deficiency and pallor have been noted. The boy should not run, as reflected by the abnormal parameters of health…” [Link]
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p>Heeding the doctors, the Orissa government has banned Budhia from marathoning or being coerced to run marathons:
Orissa government has barred him from running marathons and threatened action against anybody who makes the four-year-old participate in long distance runs… Budhia’s cardiological system was under stress and he was under-nourished with anaemia and angular stomatitis, the [doctor’s] report had said. [Link]
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p>Some activists, disbelieving Budhia’s 40 mile feat, wonder whether he’s living up to his name:
… he may earn another distinction by becoming the youngest in athletic world to go through dope test. “The doctors have suggested dope testing for Budhia who ran such a long distance…” [Link]
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p>Conventional wisdom says that making a child run ultramarathons could impair his bone development and stunt his growth. Some of the risks:
Richard Godfrey, a sports science lecturer and former chief physiologist at the British Olympic Medical Centre, said: “This lad will probably stop growing soon because the impact from his running will have damaged the ends of his bones.” [Link]A number of doctors had also voiced their concern on the issue saying long distance runs could make heart beat faster to meet the extra oxygen need which could lead to heart failure. Further, they said Buddhia’s cartilages could face serious wear and tear, ultimately affecting his normal growth. [Link]
- High risk of heatstroke…
- The growing ends of long bones could be damaged, leading to growth retardation
- Early onset of osteoarthritis – damage and loss of cartilage of joints – which may cripple the child in future
- Risk of cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) which may lead to cardiac complications in the future
- Burnout – complete physical, emotional and mental exhaustion [Link]
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p>Singh’s coach sees his meal ticket slipping away:
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Biranchi Das and Budhia Singh |
… Budhia’s coach [Biranchi] Das rubbished the findings of the medical panel. “I have no reason to believe the tests are accurate. [Link]Budhia’s mother is an illiterate dishwasher and his father was an alcoholic beggar. He was sold for 800 rupees ($23) to a street hawker after his father died three years ago. [Link]
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p align=left>Unlike aggressive, upper-middle-class desi American parents (Spellbound, KaavyaGate), Budhia’s coach Biranchi Das sounds like he may be pushing the kid out of economic pressure, the same reason why child labor is so widespread on the subcontinent.
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p align=left>Rich or poor, prodigy or no, making a baby run a marathon is child abuse. Doesn’t that little face make you want to just gather him up in your arms?
Related post: Pssst. I’ll sell you some Budhia for $20
Something that seems to be obvious to everyone but his “coach”
Someone needs to run a marathon on this guy’s a$$
only 40 miles?
pussy
I love the kid’s ability – but he’s got a ways to go – and i’ve seen kids respond to what they think parents want them to do and i fear budhia’s going in the same direction.
when this was first posted – i tried to get a buddy in india to help out – to some extent he succeeded by providing some sponsorship dolalrs – but you have to throw up your hands and hope for the best – because to the best of my knowledge – this coach is the kid’s legal guardian and presumably knows best.
i’d give Das the benefit of the doubt – in that he means well, but he sounds like an idiot – the coach’s idea of glory is to get the kid in the guiness book of world records – it’s like having the bearded lady on display.
And… ANDD…
what really galled me was having the kid run in that four foot shirt that is too big, it impedes his motion, creates too much drag… it becomes heavier through the run because of the sweat that it absorbs… DOESNT ANYONE HAVE ANY SENSE… out there!!! What the Fxk is the competency of this Fxk coach.
And what got me was the picture i saw of the kid running with a bunch of soldiers behind him (running in fairly sensible bundies or ganjie or baniyaans or vests or whatever they are called) and this toad of a coach sitting with his fat ass splayed out on a cycle with a front basket with some cloth that lookes suspicioulsy like the indian flag… presumably to drape the kid and choke it while he’s already short of breath and is dying of a heat stroke… and WHO THE HELL runs a ultra marathon in Summer in India… Kill the coach. Die Die Die.
If the guy has to be a guardian.. think like a parent for heck’s sake.
India – where sublime wisdom and supreme idiocy exist at the same time. In this case, also criminal abuse of a child!
I’d rephrase that:
Prodigy or not, making a baby run a marathon (ultra or not) is pretty clearly child abuse IMO.
This kid was born in 2002. That’s, like, yesterday. Why is there even a discussion about this? Forget marathon. Allowing a four year old to run even four miles, much less forty, is nuts.
Four years old!
Unlike Richard Sandrak, I doubt Budhia Singh will see any of the profits from his amazing athletic abilities.
You overly-sympathetic fools. This is a small price to pay if we ever want to beat those haughty Kenyans. Budhia could be the Great Brown Hope.
Four years and forty odd miles? I’d say his resale value is still pretty high.
“India – where sublime wisdom and supreme idiocy exist at the same time. In this case, also criminal abuse of a child!”
well said. no matter what the child’s prowess, this is deeply disturbing. surely it violates child labor laws in some way?
Orissa government has barred him from running marathons and threatened action against anybody who makes the four-year-old participate in long distance runsÂ…
WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? The Orissa gov’t threatened to take action against the anybody who is forcing this child to run?! They need to take action, goddamit, not threaten to.
My maternal instinct is getting very defensive in favor of protecting this four year old bachha and punishing his ogre of a coach. Not to sound sappy or anything, but as I’ve been looking at pictures of him on this blog, I’ve been getting very emotional.
Evil Abhi:
I nominate you as the Great Brown Hope. Go out there and do us proud.
Run, Abhi, run!!!
they need to put an end to this..he might even be suffering from insensitivity to pain
Haughty Kenyans eh? Atleast they don’t start their abuse at four years of age!
This little boy will be completely messed up by the time he can merit a tee shirt in his own size. Heck, how long before he fails to stoop to tie his laces??
I bet this “kid” is really a dawrf or something. As far as I know my parents might be 95 years old. I dont even think they know how old they are. Birthdays are not something they keep track of in villages.
What we need here is a Nike endorsement. Rather than parade Budhia as some kind of a circus freak that can run 40 miles, let him run just five. That’s amazing enough for a four-year old. And ask Nike to make Budhia the Nike poster boy of the India Shining with a market potential of 1.1 billion pairs of feet.
A few million dollars in Budhia’s shirt pocket would be just rewards for making the poor lad work so hard at such a tender age.
i had the curious vision of the veezher scooping up Biranchi Das and smiling down at the fat bearded face with paternal affection- a-GOoooGooGoo Goo Goo!!! whos the naughty boy!!! WHO’s the naughty boy!!?!!
hey it wasnt clear to me ok? 🙂
Floridian has hit the nail on the head. This kid needs some serious endorsement. And a trust fund of some sort, administered by his corporate backers + state of Orissa + evil-coach/guardian. Once we take the money issue out of the picture — and guarantee that no one stands to benefit financially from this — except the kid himself that is, everyone will listen to reason and stop pushing this kid beyond what is approved of medically.
PS: I move that Evil Abhi be not allowed anywhere within a 10 mile radius of this trust. Who’ll second me?
dope test at 4? well, i hope they don’t tell him what dope is though.
Me! Me!
The motion is now passed.
What’s with the kid’s real mum and dad anyways? Does the government of India seriously recognize the ‘sale’ of the kid? Don’t they want him back? The kid needs a mum. Besides the trust fund that is.
It’s probably referring to blood doping, not weed.
Poor lil guy, something really needs to be done about that coach.
His real mom sold him for a paltry 800 rupees. She is obviously destitute and cannot take care of him or whatever siblings he might have. What he needs is rescuing and someone like Angelina Jolie to adopt him.
I am not being sarcastic above. As much as I believe in the goodness of people in general, I really wonder how many in the Orissa government genuinely care for this child. As Al-Jibraiq pointed out, even making him run 5 miles is commendable enough at his age and keeping that in mind, anyone out there can exploit him.
For those who are interested in learning about the human rights violations aspect about Budhia:
From Aljazeera:http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3D876F6C-0C69-48B4-B416-C23EEF458C3F.htm After receiving complaints from civic groups, India’s National Human Rights Commission ordered the Orissa government to conduct a health check on the boy and investigate those who organised the run, saying they believed the child’s human rights had been violated.
Officials at the commission in New Delhi declined to comment on Monday, saying they had not yet received the medical report.
So, is anyone in India really calling this kid ‘Forrest Gump‘?
It’s probably referring to blood doping, not weed. yes, i know that nimble people must have realised but i will still let you know what i meant.
when you’re four years old and people tell you about performance enhancing stuff, you do wonder what it does.”
some coaches, actually try giving anabolics to young potential children. in 1996, there was a case, this one child said, he did not want to take medicine his coach was trying to give him because his mother obviously told him the whole stranger with candy story.and in this case as his coach is his guardian, and already unknowingly exploiting him, this might just make it worse.
Have you seen the TV clips of his 65 km run? It was disturbing just to watch the video. Before he collapsed, the boy was tottering around disoriented – like a very drunk man on the verge of throwing up. The CRPF policemen who were running alongside (in said gunjies), instead of helping him, goaded him to keep running. It was distasteful.
Also remember Orrisa is going through an intense heat-wave. Making Budhia run even 5 miles in that weather is criminal.
Ack! Someone adopt that child before it’s too late……
“India – where sublime wisdom and supreme idiocy exist at the same time. In this case, also criminal abuse of a child!”
Again, well said…oh the irony that is India….
Do you guys know that a Dubai based company has set up a Trust Fund for Budhia to the extent of RS. 15,000,00. Is this kid going to an IVY LEAGUE? Does anybody think the money will actually do good to the kid?
Such stupidity….
Such callousness…..
Oops, I meant that callousness comment to refer to this quote from cogito ergo sum:
I have engrained myself into the hearts of my fellow indians and many others around the world through my ability to run. My backgrounds are humble, yet i feel i have conquered the world.I am a success story.Though only four, i have achieved a dream. Some may percieve me running these distances as unethical,but,looking at the bigger picture,{ie.the world}i do not see the fuss- children are being made to fight wars and kill family members, against their wishes, in twisted conflicts forgotton by the world, and at the same time,just because they saw a documentary, people speak out in uproar at my treatment/actions. I urge you to speak out against the real wrongdoings on our planet and celebrate me!