Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 8:

While marathon boy Budhia Singh not reporting to the Sports training facility in the Odisha capital has remained a suspense, the state government today spelt in clear terms that one is free to move out if he finds better scope elsewhere.

budhia singh

The long distance runner undergoing training at the SAI Hostel here has not reported to the boarding centre even after reopening of the schools after the summer break.

The authorities, however, appeared indifferent to the mysterious disappearance of Budhia.

“The demand for admission into Sports Hostel is very high. If students don’t turn up and don’t respond to notices then we would presume that they don’t have interest to come back. We reject applications every year due to availability of limited seats. We will wait for a month or two and then invite other students to take admission for the vacant seats,” Saswat Mishra, Sports and Youth Services Department Secretary said.

“Sports hostel is not a jail that we keep inmates forcibly. If somebody feels that he/she is not getting proper food and training and he/she can get better facilities outside then they are free to move out,” he expressed.

The teenage sprinter’s elder sister Sasmita Singh claimed that her brother and mother are at their maternal grandparent’s house in Nayagarh and will be back home in Salia Sahi slum in the city in 2-3 days.

Notably, Budhia Sing was admitted to Sports Hostel in September 2007 on the recommendations of District Child Welfare Committee months ahead of the murder of his coach Biranchi Das.

The state government was footing the expenses of the marathoner towards training, boarding and studies. He is a student of Class IX in DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur.

When contacted, the school authorities said that he has submitted a leave application for 30 days without specifying any reason.

“On June 25, he had submitted an application for a month-long leave without mentioning the reason for such long absence. The class teacher too tried to contact his mother, but in vain,” DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur Principal Dr KC Satapathy said.

Earlier, Budhia had told media about his interest in training at SAI losing ground.