President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday congratulated Hima Das for creating history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win a gold at an IAAF event.
"Congratulations to our sensational sprint star Hima Das for winning the 400m gold in the World Under-20 (in Finland)... A very proud moment for Assam and India, Hima; now the Olympic podium beckons," the President said in a tweet.
Modi tweeted: "This accomplishment will certainly inspire young athletes in the coming years."
Tense at the start, Das began slow and trailed on the home stretch, but her blazing run in the final 80m, as she overtook three rivals, saw her clocking 51.46 seconds.
Hima did well even in the earlier rounds -- winning Heat 4 with a time of 52.25 seconds. She emerged on top in the semi-finals winning her race in 52.10 seconds.
Assam’s chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal also lauded ‘Assam’s Sprint Sensation’.
Daughter of a paddy farmer from Dhing village in Nagaon district, Das shone in a field dominated by runners from the US and Jamaica in Tampere's Ratina Stadium on Thursday.
She became the first Indian athlete to win gold in a world championship across all age groups.
The sporting fraternity in the country also took to Twitter to congratulate the ‘Dhing Express’.
Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri wrote, “The biggest positive to come out of what Hima Das has achieved isn't the medal, it's the hope that India can. Take a bow, champion!”
Hima did well even in the earlier rounds -- winning Heat 4 with a time of 52.25 seconds. She emerged on top in the semi-finals winning her race in 52.10 seconds.
Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Akshay Kumar on Friday also congratulated Hima.
(With inputs from IANS)
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