“I don’t show tension and nervousness, but I know how fast my heartbeat races before a race.”
― Hima Das
“I was naughty but never demanding. I never asked my parents for shoes or tracksuits. I was happy with what I had.”
― Hima Das
“My father was a footballer, and he has inspired me.”
― Hima Das
“I am hurt that some people criticise very harshly without even realising the hardships which we go through.”
― Hima Das
“If you want to achieve something great, you have to work hard for it. It is as simple as that.”
― Hima Das
“I am not running after gold medals; I am running after time. And once I get that, gold medals will run after me.”
― Hima Das
“I used to run barefoot in my village some time back. Now, I have a branded shoe with my name on it.”
― Hima Das
“It is a great feeling that I am the first Indian to win a gold medal in track event in world juniors.”
― Hima Das
“My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.”
― Hima Das
“My biggest support and backbone have been my friends.”
― Hima Das
“I want for every child – regardless of their background, gender, caste, etc. – to be able to access schools that are safe and supportive so that they can learn and thrive.”
― Hima Das
“My role model was Sachin Tendulkar as a kid. I feel very proud that I have been able to follow his footsteps and become a UNICEF ambassador like him.”
― Hima Das
“I live in a joint family with 17 members under one roof. My father is an MA, but he didn’t get a job, because all his certificates got destroyed when our house caught fire. So my father took up farming – fish farming and vegetable farming.”
― Hima Das
“Forget the past, and ask me what’s next.”
― Hima Das
“I don’t think about medals. I just think of bettering my own time.”
― Hima Das
“The ultimate dream of an athlete is to compete in the Olympics. For us athletes, that is the zenith. There is nothing beyond that.”
― Hima Das
“If you ask me, everything… every event that takes place changes your life.”
― Hima Das
“My attitude is different. And no one understands me the way my friends do.”
― Hima Das
“We are human beings, at the end of the day. Success and failure are a part and parcel of our life.”
― Hima Das
“Everything happens at one step at a time.”
― Hima Das
“A player needs recovery time, and it isn’t possible to recover from one race in an hour.”
― Hima Das
“Everybody has difficulties in life. But if you have to win something for the country, you have to struggle.”
― Hima Das
“Even Sachin used to get ducks during his career. There are ups and downs in every athlete’s career.”
― Hima Das
“I thrive in competition. It feels good to improve timings and create records.”
― Hima Das
“I am fortunate to be on board with one of India’s top sports management group.”
― Hima Das
“I haven’t changed, but people’s perception changed.”
― Hima Das
“Whatever the rules are, we have to follow them. I have no problem with it.”
― Hima Das
“Wherever they send us to practice, we will go.”
― Hima Das
“Hima is Hima only. I haven’t changed.”
― Hima Das
“The biggest challenge of my career has always been to improve my timing, and it will always be so.”
― Hima Das
“I hope I will get a chance to compete in the Olympics.”
― Hima Das
“I have the love and blessings of Indians and my family and I have faith in my own hard work and training. That is all I need.”
― Hima Das
“I have made my schedule in such a way that whenever I am getting time from studies, I do my training.”
― Hima Das
“I believe in time and in God. Nothing else bothers me.”
― Hima Das
“My paternal uncle and aunt have jobs, and they are the ones who feed the family with a regular income.”
― Hima Das
“I am living a dream.”
― Hima Das
“I am a positive person, and I want to look ahead in life and do something for my parents and the country.”
― Hima Das
“I am still the same village girl from Dhing who used to help my father in the paddy field, help mother in household chores, run for hours on the streets of Dhing, play football with my Mon Jai group friends.”
― Hima Das
“The pressure has increased; I have to practise more and keep performing better.”
― Hima Das
“I want to run as fast as I can.”
― Hima Das
“Nothing concerns me other than my time. That is my only concern. I don’t pay any attention to the rest. I run after time. If that improves, the gold, silver, etc. will follow.”
― Hima Das
“I don’t think I even understand the full meaning of athletics.”
― Hima Das
“Good athletes will be there at good competitions, but I don’t think about them; I just think of bettering my own time.”
― Hima Das
“When I was in Class II, we used to walk about 5 km. to school. I did not know of Olympics or even athletics then. One day, a friend went in a car and left me behind. I was so angry, I wanted to run and outrace the car. I ran so fast that I tripped and fractured my knee.”
― Hima Das
“Whatever you do, do it from your heart. It won’t happen just by sitting at home.”
― Hima Das
“I know my family’s condition and how we struggled. But the Almighty has something for everybody.”
― Hima Das
“What I think is about running faster and faster, and I believe that will translate into medals.”
― Hima Das
“Our village is very small, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard some negative comments from my neighbours on my interest in sports. But nothing mattered, as I always knew what I was doing and why I was doing it.”
― Hima Das
“I used to wake up at 5 A.M., and my routine involved six hours of training, both in the morning and evening.”
― Hima Das
“I don’t worry about timings or what somebody else is doing in another lane.”
― Hima Das
“I used to play everything, but people in my village said football is in my blood because my father has been a footballer.”
― Hima Das
“Besides my father, who used to be a footballer at the local level, it is Messi for whom I started to play football.”
― Hima Das
“I love Messi. I also derive inspiration from the god of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar.”
― Hima Das
“I’m not comparing it with cricketers who get huge money. But getting some financial benefits do motivate players, especially athletes. I appreciate this move by the state government. A state like Haryana has been producing more and more players because of such motivations.”
― Hima Das
“For every athlete, Olympics is the target, but mine is a little different. I am focusing on improving my timing; that’s what I think about.”
― Hima Das
“People expect a lot for me now, and I will achieve that.”
― Hima Das
“I don’t fear anything.”
― Hima Das
“I am a low-key girl from a middle-class family of a small village.”
― Hima Das
“I am not a star.”
― Hima Das
“My English isn’t that good, maybe just 40 per cent fine by normal standards.”
― Hima Das
“Everyone needs to support AFI. Since they are doing an excellent job, we need to reach greater heights.”
― Hima Das
“Bringing a medal for the country is the biggest achievement, and that is why I am very happy.”
― Hima Das
“I want to thank my parents and my coaches, who brought me out of Guwahati.”
― Hima Das
“Sometimes I feel I don’t know even know how to run.”
― Hima Das
“Let’s just say my mind is different.”
― Hima Das
“I just know how to run, and that is what I do.”
― Hima Das
“I don’t think about being a star or anything, or even changes in life; it is not something that bothers me.”
― Hima Das
“I only think of my practice and running as fast as I can.”
― Hima Das
“I don’t care how my past was or what I had to go through.”
― Hima Das
“I wanted to play football and wear the Indian jersey, but there was no women’s football team.”
― Hima Das
“That’s probably the only thing I am afraid of: time.”
― Hima Das
“People have now started recognizing me as well as my family.”
― Hima Das
“There are people who want photographs and autographs when they meet me.”
― Hima Das
“We usually have a fixed routine for our trainings. It is important that we are disciplined throughout because, being athletes, those little things impact our performances on the field.”
― Hima Das
“The sport is my first priority because it has given me everything.”
― Hima Das
“When there’s training, I will focus only on training.”
― Hima Das
“My focus is on training and championships. I will look at business after retirement… maybe 20 years later.”
― Hima Das
“When brands advertise with sports players, it inspires people to be part of and play sport.”
― Hima Das
“I am not sure how fast I can run.”
― Hima Das
“The first 300 m., I go slow and pick up speed at the bend. That’s Hima’s style.”
― Hima Das
“I didn’t expect I will get the Arjuna at 18 years. I thought 19.”
― Hima Das
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