Rayagada: With the right kind of training and patronage, Jagannath Behera, the four-and-half-year old son of a poor truck driver of Jagannath Mandir Sahi of this town, is all set to accomplish what whiz kid Budhia Singh of Bhubaneswar could not do.
Locals were awed to see the kid making 42 rounds of a circle of 800 meters in GCD ground here within 45 minutes. Besides, he sprints over 30 km a day on Rayagada streets showing promise of a great athlete in future.
According to reports, no one has ever seen Jagannath walking. He runs to the market and returns home sprinting when he is asked by his parents to buy household items. His unusual practice caught the attention of senior athlete A Mahesh of the town a few months back. Taking consent of Jagannath’s parents, Mahesh started coaching the kid on a daily basis to explore his incredible stamina.
He first took him to the GCD ground in the town where he ran a circle of 800 meters four times on the first day itself. It increased to six the next day and went on gradually. At present, he comfortably makes 42 rounds of the circle without taking rest. While Jagannath practices six days a week at the ground, he jogs on highway Sundays.
Many people of the town offer Jagannath eggs, sprouts, fruits and milk when they spot him returning from his practice session due to poor financial condition of his family. The kid would go places if the sports department and the district administration take him into their folds, locals said. PNN
