Buddhia too young to run long distances: Usha

Bangalore, May 19 (UNI) Legendary sprinter PT Usha today said boy wonder Buddhia Singh of Orissa, who created a sensation by running a marathon 65 km, should not be made to run such long distances at his tender age as it will adversely affect his body.

''This kid is just four and a half years old and running such long distances is not good. The State Government should ensure that he is preserved and trained properly before being allowed to run at a mature age,'' she told reporters at the launch of a sports and fitness journal here.

Usha lamented the lack of proper training facilities for children at the high school level in the country.

''We have infrastructure to train grown up athletes, but there is an urgent need to train children from the age of 12 as facilities at this level are totally lacking. My school of athletics near Kozhikode has been launched mainly for this purpose,'' she said.

Her remarks have come after Buddhia's run came in for severe criticism from medical experts who warned that the child's bones might get permanently damaged because of the physical stress.

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