Bhubaneswar: Marathon wonder kid Budhia Singh, whose trainer Biranchi Das was killed in a driveby shooting here this evening, says his dreams of winning an Olympic medal for the country are "shattered".

A teary-eyed Budhia said he will "miss sir for the rest of my life. He was like a father-figure to me due to which I never felt the loss of my father while staying at Judo Hall".

The 6-year-old, who has been staying at the sports hostel for some months after his mother had a difference of opinion with the coach, said he felt completely broken after hearing the news of Das death.

"He used to take care of me like a son," Budhia, who lost his father when only three, told reporters.

He credited the trainer with helping his entry into the Limca Book of Records, but rued the fact that Das cannot "fulfill his promise" of getting him a medal in long-distance running at the 2019 Olympic Games.

Budhia refused to take questions on the controversy about his "physical torture" by Das, and asked everyone to forget the episode.

"I have lost my foster father," was all he would say.

The emotionally upset boy also "skipped dinner", officials at the sports hostel said. "He was seen confined in his room all evening," they said.
Source : PTI