Sports and Youth Services Secretary Saswat Mishra on Friday rubbished the allegation of wonder boy Budhia Singh going missing and said he along with eight to 10 other inmates have not returned to the Sports Hostel since its reopening after the summer vacation last month.
Mishra said the 14-year-old marathon runner boy would be allowed to stay in the hostel if he returns in two to four days.
“Barring Budhia, eight-ten students have not returned to the hostel after the summer vacation. We are in contact with them and their guardians. So far as Budhia is concerned, our coaches are in contact with his elder sister and uncle. They assured that Budhia would return very shortly,” said Mishra after holding a meeting with the Sports Hostel authorities here.
He said they would not force Budhia to stay in the hostel.
Budhia, who ran a record-breaking 65 km from Puri to Bhubaneswar in seven hours and two minutes in 2006 at the age of four and found a place in the limca Book of Records, without any intimation to the hostel authorities has not returned to the facility centre for last three weeks leaving the Government in a fix.
His coach at the hostel, Rupanita Panda, quoting Budhia’s elder sister said he along with his mother have gone to attend a marriage party in Nayagarh and would return soon.
The State Government has been paying for Budhia’s education, clothes, food and stay at the hostel. He is now studying in Class-IX at the prestigious DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur here.