Indian star sprinter Hima Das is all set to miss the upcoming 2023 Asian Games in China due to a hamstring injury. She sustained the injury last April as confirmed by Athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair on Wednesday.
Hima had won a silver medal in the 400m race at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. She also won gold and silver with the women’s 4x400m and the mixed 4x400m relay teams respectively.
“It is unfortunate that she was injured a day before the Indian Grand Prix IV in Bengaluru. She pulled a hamstring and also had a back problem. Now, the medical investigation is going on and planning for her treatment. i believe that she will not be able to participate in the Asian Games as per the policy of the AFI,” Nair stated.
The 23-year-old sprinter also missed the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month and with every passing event her chances of qualifying for the Asian Games became bleak until she was declared unfit. Nair felt that Hima will turn up for the National Inter-State Championship which is the final selection event for the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The Athletics Federation of India have been very strict with its qualification standards. They made it clear to all the athletes that they will have to participate in the National Inter-state Championship to be considered for the Asian Games. There are few athletes who are exempted from this rule but most of them will have
to undergo the same procedure.
Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and steeplechaser Avinash Sable were exempted from the five-day final selection event for the Asian Games.
He also highlighted that Neeraj Chopra has pulled out of two top events which include the FBK Games in the Netherlands and the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland due to a muscle strain. He sustained the strain last month but he has not recovered from it fully. “He (Neeraj) started his training last week and should be in good health by the end of this month,” Nair shared.
Chopra and Sable will also not participate in the Asian Championships as their main aim is to do well at the World Championships in Hungary. It will start on August 19 and run till August 27.
“Due to a packed 2023 season, both the athletes (Neeraj and Sable) are competing in selected events this year as the emphasis is a podium finish at the Budapest World Championship and then the Asian Games,” Nair highlighted.
He also shared that the AFI plans to send a big contingent of at least 60 athletes to compete at the Asian Athletics Championship starting next month in Bangkok, Thailand. The team will be revealed after a selection review meeting on June 20.
He shared that the team at AFI have done a preliminary selection. He also made sure that the athletes who were abroad need to clinch their place by performing well at the Inter-state. He also revealed that the final selection team will be announced following the selection review team’s meeting on June 20.
“We have done a preliminary selection there were athletes who could not participate in the Federation Cup as they were training abroad. They will have to confirm their performance in the Inter-State. We will have a selection review meeting on June 20 and then we will declare the team,” Nair explained.
He also gave an example of Tejaswin Shankar, who trains abroad but will have to qualify for the Asian Games by achieving the qualifying mark at the Inter-State.
Overall, India’s contingent looks really strong but losing HIma Das was really very unfortunate. Indian fans will hope that their poster boy Neeraj Chopra is back to full fitness once again.
