Budhia Singh, the four and half year old kid from Orissa is winning many hearts and seems to be the darling child of the country. The media is raving about his incredible stamina and predicting him to be a future sports star of India.

Two days back Budhia ran a distance of 65 km, starting from the lion gate of the Jagannath temple in Puri to Bubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa, in 7 hrs and is now entering the Limca Book of records. He further intends to participate at the London marathon. However, we in India always seem to get too carried away and go overboard. Without taking away any credit from the child; Medindia wishes to raise the following points with the media and the Indian public: At the age of 4 years are we not letting the child go too far with his activity? Should not his coach be questioned? Should not the media use some degree of discretion before letting this whole thing go out of hand?

The young boy’s feat has already attracted mixed reaction from the general public. Although Budhia has been warned by numerous medical experts, sports professionals form the SAI, regarding running such long distance forum organised by his mentor, nothing much has changed. Several members have expressed their anger and rage over his mentor, who they feel is exploiting the poor child for money and cheap publicity.

Responding to the issue, Dr McNamee, Chair of the British Philosophy of Sport Association and senior lecturer at Swansea University’s School of Health Science, 'Running these extensive distances could have long-term disastrous consequences for this child. The health of the young boy is being put at risk, not just physically but emotionally. You have to wonder whose sporting ambitions are being fulfilled in these cases. It’s not just a sporting issue; it’s an ethical one and could even be termed as child abuse. In the drive to produce the best sporting talents, the recruitment and training of potential 'Olympic' winning sports professionals is starting earlier and earlier,' he said in a radio show for the BBC.

Biranchi Das, Budhia’s mentor and a judo coach, however has something different to say. 'A team of three doctors conducts regular check-ups on Budhia to find out if anything is wrong with him. I don't know why these people are so concerned.' The child is said to have been saved by the coach, after his mother sold him to another man for a sum of 800 rupees. Amazed by his sports talent, the coach then decided to place him on a stringent diet and exercise regimen, to ensure that he added few kilometers to his running.

Such public awareness issues, before it can be resolved, call for an increased understanding of sports and sports related injuries. The most common types of sports injuries in children are due to overuse and re-injuries. These can result in– sprains, strains, stress fractures, tendonitis, and growth plate injuries. Budhia at this age is prone to all the above-mentioned injuries.