Guwahati: Star sprinter Hima Das will miss the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou after a hamstring injury, coupled with a back issue, forced her out of the ongoing National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
The Inter-state nationals are the final selection trials for the continental Games, slated to be held from September 23 to October 8.
“It’s confirmed. She’s been suffering from a hamstring injury and unfortunately won’t be able to participate in the Asian Games,” Hima’s personal coach Nabajit Malakar told EastMojo.
The 23-year-old injured her hamstring a day ahead of the Indian Grand Prix (IGP) – 4 in April and subsequently missed the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month.
Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair had also confirmed the development, saying that a medical investigation is underway and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is planning her treatment.
Hima had won the silver medal in the women’s 400m race with a National Record effort of 50.79s at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. She was also instrumental in helping India win the women’s 4x400m relay gold and the mixed 4x400m relay silver five years ago.
With a back injury already jeopardising her chances of a comeback in the 400m, the Dhing Express, has shifted her focus on the 100m and 200m events, since then. In the current season, she has clinched a couple of gold medals in the 200m event in the IGP-1 & 3 besides a silver at 11.74s in the 100m event in IGP-2.
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In the opening IGP, Hima clocked 23.79s and improved her timing by a 0.2-second at the IGP-3. However, her latest performance was 0.34s short of the qualification standard for the women’s 200m sprint event set by the Athletics Federation of India.o
Nair also added that as per the policy of the AFI, the sprinter won’t not be able to participate in the Asian Games. According to the AFI policy, all athletes, barring pre-exempted ones, have to participate in the Inter-State Athletics Championships to be considered for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The rule is however, exempted for Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Avinash Sable, the silver medallist in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Chopra, who had pulled out of the FBK Games 2023 in the Netherlands and Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland due to a muscle strain, has reportedly recovered and started training in Switzerland on Monday.
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