Oil India Limited (OIL) announces Rs 20 lakh cash award to Hima Das

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Oil India Limited (OIL) awarded a cash incentive of Rs 20 lakh to new queen of Indian athletics Hima Das for her magnificent performance in the recently concluded World Junior Athletic championship in Finland, Hima won gold in women 400mts and became the first Indian sprinter to collect a yellow medal from World meet.

Announcing the news in a media conference the CMD of OIL Utpal Bora on Saturday said that the incentive was being given to the champion to help her prepare for upcoming tournaments.

Hima is now currently busy to prepare herself for the forthcoming Asian Games. The incentive will be handed over to her once she returned into the State.

Hima already showed her potential in the international arena and former top athletes of the State feel that the athlete is capable to bring laurels from Olympic if she receives support of an individual coach with international repute. Sharing his views on this issue with The Sentinel Bora said,“It’s really a nice suggestion. However we alone can’t do it. It requires joint efforts from different quarters and if it happens we will try our best to contribute as much as possible from our end.”

It may be mentioned here that the public sector oil major is patronizing sports in the state in a very big way for a long period and recruiting talented players in the company on regular Basis. The company also introduced scholarship to the budding players so that they can prepare themselves for the different national and intentional competitions. India U-19 World Cup champion team member Riyan Parag, promising TT player Trisha Gogoi and Agniv Bhaskar Gohain are among the few players who are recently included in the scholarship programme of the OIL.