Assam's Dhing Express Hima Das: Early Life, Struggle, First Recognition, Award & Achievements

Who Is Hima Das?

Hima Das is a name very well-known, famous for the efforts, dedication, and never-ending achievements. People address her as "Dhing Express". The reason behind this is her speed at which she moved ahead in the phase of her career, contributing not only towards her accomplishments but also towards the entire nation at such an early age. Hima Das is the first woman athlete who represented India and obtained gold in the running event of the IAAF World U20 Championships. She made a record by completing the race in 51.46 seconds.  

Early Life of Hima Das

Hima Das belongs to a very small village called Kandhulimari, which is close to Dhing town of the Assam state. Ronjit and Jonali Das, her parents, are from the community of Kaibarta. Her father is a farmer who earns a livelihood by cultivating rice. However, that never stopped her from pursuing her passion; instead, it became a boon for her by making her strong and determined.

Phases of Education & Struggle

Her birth date marks on January 9, 2000. She has enjoyed playing football with boys, since her childhood, regularly which reveals her free and determined nature. The stereotypical beliefs expected from girls never restrained her from achieving her desires. The interest that she possessed in football made her adamant to accomplish a vocation in the same field. However, her desire to be on the Indian Women Football team was too void in her case. She was a student of jawahar navodaya vidyalaya. Her Physical Education teacher, Nippon Das saw her flair and suggested that she should work for sprint running. That is how her running career started.

The monetary condition of her household was never good. This led to an immense struggle for her family to assist in pursuing her career. She took part in the district level 100 meters race as well as 200 meters race, and to the utter surprise of the coach, she got victories in both races by securing gold. The coach didn't expect such a splendid performance in the initial phase of her running career. Also, she had no proper running shoes for the race; hence, she wore a pair of cheap shoes but still performed the best. This incident marks the degree of determination she has had from the start. The coach took responsibility for bearing all her expenses for further participation in the upcoming competitions. Since the initial advancement in her career, no amount of hardship and struggle could stop her. The pace with which she started reaching her goals kept on increasing. The state from where she rose and succeeded in achieving such great heights is inspirational. 

First Fame & Recognition

The beginning of her career is considered to be the most difficult as she had no alternative to practice and improve her running skills on a proper racing track; instead, she utilised the only available option to her- the uneven mud-spattered football field. Along with that, she couldn't have the privilege of using any professional training provisions and amenities. Nonetheless, due to her capabilities, she secured a bronze medal in the first state meet 100 meters race. Gradually, she ascended to the finale of the Junior National Championships.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), in 2017, took notice of this young athlete when she performed exceptionally well in U-18 Nationals, the Asian and World Youth Championships. The Federation decided to select her for the senior national camp. Subsequently, it was settled by the coaches to prepare her for 400 meters race leading her to the international zone. That marks her journey to international success with the guidance, training, and support of her coaches.

Hima Das Job & Career

Being trained for only two months, she participated in National Youth Athletic Championships, organised in Hyderabad. This participation seals her first official participation representing the country. Thus, she became an envoy of India in the Junior Youth Asian Championship. Galina Petrovna Bukharina, the head coach of 400 meters and relay races in Patiala, trained Hima Das, and gradually, she got selected for the 2018 Common Wealth Games.

National Records & Achievements

A national record was made when Hima Das completed her race in the 2018 Asian Games in 50.79 seconds. That gave immense popularity and respect for her skills and efforts. The event was in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia. However, she could only win a silver in the event. But she succeeded in winning gold in the mixed 4x400 meters relay events. She also acquired gold in the 2019 Poznan Athletics Grand Prix, Poland. Also, she displayed her extraordinary talent by finishing the 2018 Federation Cup race within 51.97 seconds in Patiala. The way she achieved victory in the race seemed a comfortable and easy one. Her list of achievements, thus, is innumerable. 

International Achievements of Hima Das

The initial stage of her career, in the field of the international race, was not a fruitful one. But that never stopped her; instead, it motivated her to improve her skills and efforts. With this dedication, she moved forward and soon got engaged in the Commonwealth Games for 400 meters race organised at the Gold Coast. Yet she finished the race sixth.

The number of failures was never a concern for her; hence, she never gave up. With no proper training and equipment, no professional tracks for practice, and a couple of failures, Hima Das has given the entire nation a lesson of persistence. Finally, she created history; which took place at the IAAF World U20 Championships finishing the race in 51.46 seconds. This extraordinary performance marks the year 2018 with a feeling of gratification. Thus, she is popularly known as the first woman athlete representing India who secured gold at the World Athletics Championships. Her achievement evokes a sense of pride among the entire nation. At the race, initially, she was maintaining a moderate speed and was trailing after Andrea Miklos, a Romanian athlete. But soon after, she sprinted with such a great wave of momentum that she surpassed all the others in the race and obtained the gold medal. This created a remarkable history as she added one more name to the list after Neeraj Chopra, a Javelin thrower, won gold in the year 2016.

Appreciations Received as a Sports Star

Even Bollywood celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, other athletes like PT Usha appreciated her splendid achievements and praised her for the dedication. Expectations from her kept on rising, and Hima Das never failed to stand up to it. She, again, made remarkable history by creating a 51 seconds record in the 400 meters race and resulting in her selection for the finals. She didn't stop there and beat her own record by finishing the race in 50 seconds and won silver for the country. She had more such achievements, one after the other making the entire nation proud. One such victory was the 4x100 meters mixed relay with Arokia Rajiv, MR Poovama, and MuhammedAnas.

Role Model for Youngsters

The year 2019 is the Golden month for Hima Das as she achieved numerous victories in a concise period. But, a small glitch occurred while she was engaged in the preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. She suffered from a back injury which compelled her to take a rest for few months resulting in non-participation at any running events. However, from July itself, she came into full action after the recovery. Just within a month, she achieved five gold consecutively in 200 meters races. The first achievement is at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland. The next one at the Kutno Athletics Meet followed by victories at the KladnoAthletics Meet, held in the Czech Republic, along with a win at the Tabor Athletics Meet. The fifth gold medal was scored at the MezinarodniAtletickyMitink. These victories gave Hima Das a surge of confidence to participate more fiercely even after the injury.

As the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed to 2021, it gave a considerable amount of time to Hima Das for her preparation. Her persistence has taught many to never give up. People of the nation take inspiration from her dedication and efficient work.

Hima Das Awards & Accolades

In 2018, Hima Das received the prestigious Arjuna Award for her diligence. Besides, she was also assigned as the first youth envoy of UNICEF in 2018. Her privileges have reached beyond the sky. The government of Assam has also appointed her as Assam's sports brand ambassador.

Hima Das Assam Police Career

The latest glory added to the list of her achievements is the opportunity to become Deputy Superintendent of Assam Police. Her appointment letter was handed by the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbanada Sonowal, in Guwahati. Thus, the struggles she went through and the hard work she invested to achieve such great heights are incredibly commendable.

Hima Das Net Worth

An athlete like Hima Das receives an approximate amount ranging from $30,000 to $60,000 after winning an international event. The government covers all the training and competition costs. Moreover, the Assam Government provided 1.60 crore INR appreciating her splendid performance. An additional amount of 20 lakh INR was offered to her after achieving triumph in the Asian Games.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hima Das

Q. Which game did Hima Das win five successive golds in a year?

Ans-Hima Das, the famous athlete representing India, has achieved tremendous glory and victories. The record of her triumph is a vast one. The most remarkable performance she displayed by achieving five consecutive gold was in 2019. The first gold was obtained at Poznan Athletics Grand Prix together with the second victory at the Kutnos Athletics Meet, organized in Poland. Eventually, the third gold was secured at the Kladno Athletics Meet, followed by the fourth gold at Tabor Athletics Meet, and, finally, the fifth at MezinarodniMitnik in the Czech Republic.

Q. What is the net worth of Hima Das?

Ans- Hima Das receives an approximate amount of USD 30,000 to USD 60,000 as the winning amount after each international victory. Besides, the government takes care of all her training and competition costs. Moreover, the government has provided an amount of INR 20 lakh after her triumph at the Asian Games.

Q. Did Hima Das qualify for the Olympics?

Ans- Hima Das has not yet qualified for the Tokyo Olympics of 2021. Earlier, it was intended to be conducted in 2020, but for the pandemic, the Olympics will be seen taking place from July to August of 2021 in Tokyo. There is still time for her to be qualified for the Olympics.

Q. At what age did Hima Das start running?

Ans- From a very early age, Hima Das was always engaged in various sports. When she was a student of JawaharNavodayaVidyalaya, her coach saw a flair in her. Her dedication, sincerity, and passion, at the age of only thirteen, had marked her presence. This was when her career of running started. Gradually, she started achieving success in her field.