Junrey Balawing is officially the World’s shortest man
A man from the Philippines was officially certified as the world’s shortest man this weekend as he reached his 18th birthday, Guinness World Records announced.
Junrey Balawing of Sindangan in the southern Philippines is 23.6 inches (60cm) tall, making him nearly three inches shorter than the previous record holder, Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal.
Balawing was born a normal size, his family said, and they did not notice anything unusual about him until he was about 4 years old and his peers grew more than he did.
He has not grown since his first birthday, his parents told Guinness.
They are too poor to investigate what medical condition prevented him from growing taller, Guinness said, calling him “their lucky charm” since the man’s father, Reynaldo, a blacksmith, had been unemployed until he was born, then found a job immediately after his birth.
“He needs my care every minute of every day. Junrey can only walk with some help and he can’t stand for too long because he’s in too much pain,” his mother, Concepcion, said.
The World’s Shortest Man record has been a hot topic over the last year or so, with Columbian Edward Nino Hernandez being crowed with the title in September.
Immediately following the press of Hernandez came news of Balawing, who has never been public to the Guiness representatives.
Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal is expected to take the title when he turns 18 in October.
[…] UPDATE: No controversy, when Balawing turned 18, he was officially made the new SHORTEST MAN – HERE […]