At just two feet tall, Khagendra Thapa Magar is just four months away from being named the world's smallest man.
Excitedly awaiting his 18th birthday in October of this year, Khagendra and his family are in contact with Guinness to take the official crown from 2ft 5in He Ping Ping of China.
Weighing only 10lbs, Khagendra has become something of a celebrity in his native Nepal, where politicians have joined the clamour to see him recognised as the smallest man in the world and villagers have dubbed him 'little Buddha'.
Born seventeen years ago in the remote Baglung District 125 miles away from the capital Kathmandu, Khagendra's family have always known he was destined for great things, despite his size.
'He was born weighing only 600 grams (1lb 5oz),' says his mother Dhana Maya Thapa Magar, 33.
'It was like watching a newly hatched chick fresh from a shell.
'I admit that at first I was ashamed of him and would not leave the house, but now I only feel pride and am desperate for him to be named as the tinniest man in the world.'
Although the cause of his size has never been medically confirmed, doctors in Nepal who have examined him believe Khagendra to suffer from a malfunctioning pituitary gland.
Otherwise considered to be healthy, the Khagendra Thapa Magar Foundation has been set up by his family to promote his bid to be officially declared the smallest man in the world.
'His fame has spread across Nepal and into India," says his father Rupp Abrader Thana Magyar, 36.
'He travels as part of a dancing troupe so that people can see him.
'He does this only a couple of times a year and now we only do this to make people realise that he is going to be the smallest man in the world.'
According to his parents, he has not increased in size since last year and they do not expect him to grow any further.
'He is small but we are proud,' says Rupp.
If he takes the crown as the world's smallest man he will replace 20-year-old He Ping Ping of Huade County in China.
Khagendra applied to Guinness in 2006 when he was 14, but they denied the application because he was not yet 18.
'We have waited for three and a half years, but soon he will be the title holder,' says Rup.
'The foreign minister Sujata Koirala told us she would support us when we met her earlier this month.'
Suffering from learning difficulties, he has recently enrolled in his local nursery school to learn to read and write.
'I go to school for five days a week and I stay there," says Khagendra.
'I return to my parents fruit shop in Pokhara on the weekends and I help them out in the shop.
'I like to watch my favourite karate shows on television when I am at home and I hope to become the most famous dancer in the world soon.'
Since he first came to attention almost four years ago Khagendra has been on a whirlwind of publicity all aimed at gaining official recognition from Guinness.
'Once I am named as the world's smallest man then I can fulfil my dream of visiting the United States of America,' says Khagendra.
'I can show off my dancing moves and I can show people how good I am at karate.'
Despite not being as mentally developed as other boys his age, Khagendra still has a soft spot for pretty girls.
'One of the best things about when I travel for my dancing is that I get to look at the girls in Kathmandu.
'They are very pretty and dress differently from the girls in my home village.'
0 comments:
Post a Comment