Star athlete Hima Das, who is in Patiala to resume her training, has tested positive for COVID. After failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, the 2018 Under-20 world champion in the 400m took a short break to heal his hamstring injury. “Hima returned to Patiala on the 10th. She was in Guwahati on the 8th and 9th and had mild fatigue. We thought it was nothing to worry about. He must have tested positive during the mandatory testing in Patiala,” said a local coach.
Hima’s media manager said that there is nothing to worry about on the health front. The national camp for athletics is scheduled to begin in the last week of October, but Hima has already reached. The rest of the campers are yet to report to the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, Punjab. “There she is. She wants to train and get back in form,” says Galina Bukharina, the head coach of the 400 meters.
In the Federation Cup in March, Hima was in good shape for the Olympics and clocked 23.21s, missing the 200m Olympic qualifying mark of 22.80s. But a grade one hamstring tear derailed his campaign. In her last attempt, against the advice of doctors, Hima ran 200 meters despite injury in the inter-state event, where she was knocked out of the podium mark. Coach Galina says, “Hima now wants to train hard and do well in the Commonwealth and Asian Games.”
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