Hima Das, an 18-year-old athlete from Assam’s Nagaon, brought joy to her country at the U-20 IAAF World Championships 2018, in Tampere, Finland, where, on Thursday, 12 July, she became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal at a world track event.
After her historic victory, the Assamese sprinter couldn’t hold in her emotions and wept tears of joy while singing the national anthem atop the winner’s podium.
Hima’s win moved many public figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took to Twitter to congratulate the 18-year-old on her win.
Hima, from Dhing in Assam, has only been running over 400 metres competitively for four months, since March 2018. Her success has been startling and immediate, with a sixth-place finish at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April 2018. But Hima’s humility shines through. She thanked her fans for their support in a heartfelt video message:
The teenager’s future looks bright after India’s and her own maiden international win. Hopefully, there will be many more to come.
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