From Dhing to Tampere: The world at Hima Das’ feet

From running in her father’s farm to running for India at the World U20 Championships, even Hima Das wouldn’t know what she was to achieve, when she first stepped into the track field 18-months ago, competing in her maiden run.

She won that day in the inter-district meet in Sivasagar, Assam and here she is at 18-years and 215 days, still running, winning, breaking records and creating history.

On Thursday, close to midnight, when half of India was sleeping, Hima became the first Indian to clinch the gold-medal at a global track event. She had conquered the 400m final of the IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland.

She had started slow but went on a blitz in the final 80m, overtaking three rivals to clock 51.46 seconds and win the yellow metal.

Yet this timing that beat runners from the powerhouses US and Jamaica wasn’t her best. She had clocked better twice this year and finished a 400m race in 51.13 seconds at the National Inter State Championships in Guwahati.

A pre-tournament favourite, Hima was expected to win, given she is the U-20 season leader in the quarter-mile event. But after starting at lane 4 and running behind Romania’s Andrea Miklos and Taylor Manson of USA before the final stretch, a medal looked assured but that was not of gold.

Also Read: Hima Das wins India’s maiden gold at World U-20 Athletics Championship

But the teenager from Dhing, a village in Assam’s Nagaon district would rewrite history with a burst of pace, none could match. She had put India on the map of the track event. She is the first woman to win a gold at a World Championship, the first Indian to win a gold in a world track tournament.

Her sudden increase in speed was a surprise to many but not to those who had followed her meteoric rise and had anticipated a podium finish at Finland. And when her coach Nipon Das  told Indian Express that “Hima’s race begins in the final 80 metres,” it so reminded of Ian Bishop’s comment of MS Dhoni – “If 15 runs are needed off the last over, pressure is on the bowler… Not on Dhoni.”

Both are strong finishers. The former Indian skipper will be so proud of this young protege who has mustered his greatest weapon. They have made India proud, the latter will perhaps make India prouder.

Hima had started off with football, perhaps she wanted to become the next Baichung Bhutia, but here she is, the next PT Usha – India’s last running sensation. Usha came fourth in the 1984  Los Angeles Olympics and that had for three decades been India’s best moment at a global track event, until Hima’s gold.

Also Read: Under 20 World Championships: Indian sprinter Hima Das enters 400m final

Nipon, an athletics coach with the Directorate of Sports and Youth Welfare first noticed Hima during an inter-district meet. He says, “She was wearing cheap spikes but she won gold in the 100 and 200. She ran like the wind. I hadn’t seen such a talent in ages.”

He took Hima to Guwahati, some 140km far from her village and inducted her into the state academy that specialised in boxing and football.

“Assam is not known to produce runners,” he says. “But she is blessed with God-given talent. My aim was to try and make sure she is part of the relay team for the Asian Games. But she has surpassed all expectations by winning a world championship gold in the individual event.”

“It has been just two years since she first wore spikes.”