GUWAHATI, Aug 26 - Sports fraternity of Assam has congratulated athlete Hima Das for her silver medal winning performance in the 400m in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta today. Hima recorded a timing of 50.79 seconds to break her own national record within 24 hours.
The latest sensation in Indian athletics, Hima in her semifinal heat of the event yesterday eclipsed the 14-year-old national record that stood in the name of Manjeet Kaur, who clocked 51.05 seconds in Chennai in 2004.
Hailing her performance, Arjuna Award winning athlete Bhogeswar Baruah, who won gold medal in 800m in the 1966 Bangkok Asiad, said it is certainly a laudable performance as in her maiden appearance itself she won a silver medal in a major championship. �I hope Hima will be able to enhance her performance in the coming days. I would like to request the government to take necessary steps for her training outside Assam or even country till the Tokyo Olympics.�
Tayabun Nisha, who represented India in the 1982 Delhi Asian Games, said Hima brought laurels to the country and Assam with her sterling performance in the Jakarta Asiad. �I congratulate the young runner and wish her a bright future,� she said.
Arunjyoti Baruah, who was a member of the Indian table tennis team in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and his sister Mallika Baruah, who was in the Indian badminton team of the same Asian Games, praised Hima for her achievement. The Baruah siblings said Hima�s performance will encourage the youngsters of the State in taking sports seriously.
Assam Athletic Association president Rakibul Hussain and secretary Pradeep Nunisa also congratulated Hima for her fantastic show in the Jakarta Asiad. They wished her a bright future.
