Indian sprint sensation Hima Das is set to be greeted with a special welcome when she steps into her city of Guwahati on Friday. Photos from Twitter show that a carpet with track markings on it has been laid out at the Guwahati airport as the Asian Games triple-medallist returns home for the first time since the end of the multi-sport tournament in Indonesia.
Local media reports suggest that the chief minister of Assam Sarbanda Sonowal will be present in person to welcome the athlete. From the airport, Das would head to the Sarusjai Stadium, stopping by the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra Memorial. She would be felicitated by the state in the evening at the Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra.
On Wednesday, Das met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and she tweeted, “It has been a privilege to meet our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi sir. Thank you, sir, for the encouragement and motivation during this meeting today.”
The 18-year old Hima Das has had a memorable 2018 so far where she shot to fame by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the IAAF World U20 Championships. What makes that gold medal even more special is the fact that she increased her speed in the final 100 metres of the race to eventually emerge victorious in the 400m event.
At the recently concluded Asian Games, Das set a new national record, clocking 51.00 to advance to the 400m metre final. She then went on to clinch the silver by breaking her own record as this time she crossed the finishing line at 50.79. She bagged two more medals-a gold in the women’s 4x400m relay and a silver in the mixed 4x400m relay event.