Hundreds gathered to receive Hima Das in Guwahati on Friday. (Express photo by Dasarath Deka) Hundreds gathered to receive Hima Das in Guwahati on Friday. (Express photo by Dasarath Deka) One of the first things Hima Das’s father asked her after she landed at the Guwahati Airport on Friday afternoon was “what are these torn clothes you are wearing?” Later that evening, speaking at a public felicitation ceremony organised by the State government at the city’s Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, the 18-year-old athlete, joked saying, “Of course, things have changed quite a bit. I have changed. I have definitely become more stylish. That’s why when my father saw me in my ripped jeans, he commented on them. I told him, ‘I am just doing a bit of style’.” Das recently clinched two silvers and one gold at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta. A month ago, she had created history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete to clinch a gold medal in the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships in Finland. Hundreds gather at the Guwahati airport to receive @HimaDas8. In the crazy crowd, she spots two neighbours from her village and reaches out to hug them. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/sLNIM8HmZn — Tora Agarwala (@toramatix) September 7, 2018 Friday was her homecoming, and on her first trip back, Das received a rousing reception. At the Guwahati Airport — hundreds attended, including Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal himself, members of the All Assam Students’ Union, and of course her family and friends who had travelled earlier that morning from Kandhulimari village in Dhing. READ | Hima Das: The girl who chases time “We all felt very emotional to see her. We do not know how long she will stay. The moment I saw her, I gave her a gold ring,” said Pushpalata Das, Hima’s aunt, at the airport. Inside, a red carpet — fashioned as a running track was laid out. Outside, huge banners that hailed her as dour’or rani or sprint queen fluttered as the beats of traditional Assamese folk instruments played in the background. “We had been preparing for this since yesterday but we did not expect such a big crowd,” said a security personnel at the airport. The gathering had at least 150 people. As the crowd jostled to get a glimpse of her, Das walked out, flanked by ‘Birangona’ — 25 Assam Police special women commandos. For a few seconds, she broke away from them to hug two women she spotted in the crowd — one neighbour and another family friend — who had travelled from Dhing to Guwahati to see her. After spending about thirty minutes with her family, her close friends and various dignitaries at the airport, Das travelled in a vehicle, waving at people through its sun roof, first to the memorial of Assamese singing legend Bhupen Hazarika and later to the Sarusajai Sports Complex — the tracks where she had started training less a little over a year ago. Hima Das reached Guwahati on Friday. Inside the airport was a red carpet designed like a running track. (Source: PTI/Twitter) Hima Das reached Guwahati on Friday. Inside the airport was a red carpet designed like a running track. (Source: PTI/Twitter) At the Kalakshetra felicitation, Das was given a cash award of Rs 1.60 crore by the State government. She was also officially declared as the state’s brand ambassador for sports. The ceremony was attended by CM Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, among other politicians, as well as members of the sports community, including three athletes who had represented Assam at the Asian Games 2018: badminton player Ashmita Chaliha, archer Promila Daimary, and Taekwondo champion Rodali Baruah. A screen was put up outside the auditorium for the general public. ALSO READ | Hima Das braced for unique welcome at Guwahati Airport In his speech, Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured that there was “no pressure” on Das to get more medals — something the young athlete has been hearing or reading almost every day (either on the local news channels in Assam or on social media) since she won the gold at Finland. “We don’t want to put pressure. Hima has already done enough for us. We will continue to support her regardless,” he said, to hoots and cheers. Das added, “Everyone is talking about a medal at the Olympics. But what we should remember is that even a small injury can ruin a career in athletics. Today you’re felicitating me. But if something happens to me tomorrow, then I will be over. That is the precise reason why I chase time (and not medals). So that I keep bettering my record. And even if — god forbid — I do stop running, at least the athlete who follows will be inspired to break my record.” Guwahati: Asian Games medal winning athlete Hima Das being welcomed on her arrival in Guwahati, Friday, Sep 7, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI9_7_2018_00076B) Guwahati: Asian Games medal winning athlete Hima Das being welcomed on her arrival in Guwahati, Friday, Sep 7, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI9_7_2018_00076B) Das will be spending three days in Guwahati before heading to her home in Kandhulimari village in Dhing for a day, after which she flies to Delhi again. “This month she will be resting before taking up training again,” said Nabajit Malakar, her coach in Guwahati. Until then, Das is happy for the break and especially to be back home. “I am speaking in Assamese in public after such a long time. And it feels so good. I travelled to so many countries, but there is nothing like coming home,” she said.<doc-sep>Hima Das will reach Guwahati on Friday at around 1 pm Indian contingent produced the country's best-ever show at Asiads with the athletes bagging a total of 69 medals in Indonesia recently. Out of those 69 medals, 19 came from athletics with Hima Das claiming three of them. Indian athletes, who became the cynosure of all eyes, have been attending several events post their arrival. The entire Indian contingent met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well where they were rewarded for their stellar show in Indonesia. Hima reached Guwahati on Friday where she was welcomed at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The authorities at the airport put their thinking caps on to welcome Hima in style. With what was a very unique idea, a red carpet was been laid at the airport in the form of a track to welcome Hima. Fans had turned up in big numbers to welcome Hima, who is now one of India's superstars in athletics. Soon after arriving at the airport, Hima also took to Twitter to share a photograph with her family members. Thank Sonowal for the warm welcome, Hima wrote, "I am extremely thankful to you @sarbanandsonwal sir for such a warm welcome at Guwahati Airport. Its an honour for me that you have personally come to airport to bless me. I will continue to work hard and win more medals and bring glory. Jai Hind." I am extremely thankful to you @sarbanandsonwal sir for such a warm welcome at Guwahati Airport. Its an honour for me that you have personally come to airport to bless me. I will continue to work hard and win more medals and bring glory. Jai Hind. https://t.co/bTw7gOh4Os — Hima Das (@HimaDas8) September 7, 2018 After the grand reception, Hima halted at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra Memorial to pay respects. The 18-year-old then headed to the track and field area of Sarusujai Stadium.<doc-sep>
Hima Das reached Delhi on September 4 and will travel to Guwahati on Friday. The city has lined up a unique welcome for her. (Source: PTI/Twitter) Hima Das reached Delhi on September 4 and will travel to Guwahati on Friday. The city has lined up a unique welcome for her. (Source: PTI/Twitter) Asian Games triple medallist Hima Das will finally reach Guwahati on Friday and the city has lined up a unique welcome for her. Photos posted on Twitter show a carpet laid out for her at the Guwahati airport with track markings on it. This is the first time Hima is returning to the city since her sojourn to Jakarta for the Asian Games. According to local media, Hima will be welcomed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the airport. She will then head to Sarusujai Stadium and on the way she will stop over at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra Memorial. She will have a state-leve felicitation at the Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra in the evening. Hima Das arrived in New Delhi alongwith the rest of the Indian contingent on Tuesday. She met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Wednesday. It has been a privilege to meet our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi sir. Thank you sir for the encouragement and motivation during this meeting today. pic.twitter.com/OdETvS7mjq — Hima Das (@HimaDas8) 5 September 2018 Hima has enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2018. She shot to fame in the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships where she became the first Indian to win a gold medal at a world meet. Trailing for much of the first half of the race, Hima shifted gears in the final 100 metres to move ahead of the competition and win the 400m event. ALSO READ| Hima Das: The girl who chases time At the Asian Games, her first major competition since the U20 Worlds, she lived up to the expectations that may have been sparked by the video of that race which went viral. She set an Indian record when she clocked 51.00 to qualify for the 400 metre final in Jakarta. She then bettered that record by managing a time of 50.79 in the final to clinch silver. She won another siver in the mixed team 4x400m relay event before securing gold in the women’s 4x400m relay event.