Ace Assam sprinter Hima Das will be conferred with the Arjuna award, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports formally announced today (Sep 20). Hima’s name was nominated for the prestigious sports award by the Athletics Federation of India and was included in the list of awardees for the year 2018 by the Sports Ministry.
#BREAKING | It's official! Ace sprinter #HimaDas to be conferred with Arjuna Award, becomes the fifth sports person and the youngest from #Assam to be honoured with the Arjuna award. pic.twitter.com/WUTb2LGpLI
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) September 20, 2018
Hima, also known as ‘Assam Express’ and ‘Dhing Express’, had created history earlier in July by becoming the first Indian athlete to win a track-and-field gold in the IAAF World Under-20 championships at Tampere in Finland. She also emerged as one of the most successful athletes in the recently-concluded 18th Asian Games where she won a gold and two silvers at Jakarta.
Along with Hima, Neeraj Chopra who won the javelin gold, Jinson Johnson who won a gold and a silver at the Asiad, woman cricketer Smriti Mandhana, paddlar Manika Batra and tennis player Rohan Bopanna are among the 20 sportspersons who have been named for this year’s Arjuna award.
Hima will become the fifth sportsperson from Assam who will be conferred with the Arjuna award, the others being veteran sprinter Bhogeswar Boruah, paddlar Monalisa Baruah Mehta, archer Jayanta Talukdar and pugilist Shiva Thapa. She will also be the youngest recipient of the award from the State.
On the other hand, Manipuri weightlifter S Mirabai Chanu and Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli will be conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award 2018.
#BREAKING | Manipuri weightlifter S. Mirabai Chanu and cricketer Virat Kohli to be conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for 2018. pic.twitter.com/LJDPy2BT2E
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) September 20, 2018
The awardees will receive their awards from President Ram Nath Kovind at a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan next Tuesday.
