Guinness World Records has said that Nepali boy Khagendra Thapa is too young to qualify for the title.
Fourteen-year-old Khagendra Thapa Magar, who is 20 inches (50 cm) tall and weighs 4.5 kg, will have to wait another four years before he can be considered as the world’s shortest man, reports Reuters.
The boy’s family and friends had trumpeted his claim hoping it would get him funds for his education and heath care.
They said they had raised around $4,000 for a trust in his name by organising shows where people can watch him dance and play.
“There is a possibility that he could be the shortest person in the world, however Guinness World Records cannot examine more details until he reaches the age of 18 years,” The Reuters quoted Amarilis Espinoza, a Guinness World Records spokeswoman as saying.
“After that age, we will be happy to review the case,” she added.
The current record is held by a Jordanian man, Younis Edwan, who is 25.5 inches (65 cm) tall, the London-based group said.