Hima Das 1
Hima Das receiving Arjuna Award from President RN Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. Image - Twitter

Sprint sensation from Assam, Hima Das, received the Arjuna Award from President Ram Nath Kovind during a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

After receiving the award, Hima Das on her Twitter handle stated that it was a  proud moment for her to receive the prestigious award from the President of the country. She also thanked her parents and all her well-wishers.

Also read: Assam: ‘I didn’t expect to be nominated for Arjuna award’, says Hima Das

“It is a proud moment for me receiving ARJUN AWARD from honourable President of India Mr Ram Nath Kovind at President House. Thanks to my Maa, Deuta coach & my dear well-wishers,” tweeted Hima Das.

According to reports, ‘Dhing Express’, Hima Dima’s name figured at no 3 in the list of 20 Arjuna Awardees prepared by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for this year.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also congratulated Hima Das for being honoured with the Arjuna Award.

Sonowal on his Twitter handle on Tuesday stated: “Congratulations on receiving the Arjuna Awards. This is a huge honour for Hima’s talents and great motivator to all budding sportspersons.”

Manipur’s weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, who won gold for the first time by an Indian at the World Championships in more than two decades, was presented with the prestigious the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award by the President on Tuesday.

Mirabai is also the third weightlifter to win the award after Karnam Malleswari and Nameirakpam Kunjarani.

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was also conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

Arjuna Award is India’s second highest sporting honour.

Started in 1961, the Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognize outstanding achievement in sports. Since then five sports persons from Assam had been awarded with this prestigious award.

Hima Das is the fifth Arjuna Award winner player from Assam.

Bhogeswar Baruah is the first Arjuna Award winner from Assam. He received the prestigious award in 1966.

He won gold medal in the 800 metres race at Bangkok Asian Games in 1966.

Ace table tennis player Monalisa Baruah Mehta is the second Assamese to receive Arjuna Award.

She received the prestigious award in 1987. Monalisa was the 12 time State champion and won the national table tennis championship eight times.

Ace archer Jayanta Talukdar received the Arjuna Award in 2006.

Jayanta Talukdar made it to the Indian men’s recurve archers’ team for London Olympics 2012.

World Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa is the fourth Assamese player to receive the prestigious award in 2016.

Thapa was the only boxer recommended in 2016 for Arjuna Award. Shiva Thapa participated in the 2012 London Olympics. He was the youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics.

India’s track queen Hima Das is the latest addition to the list of Arjuna awardees from Assam this year.

The 19-year-old girl from Dhing in Assam’s Nagaon district won one gold and two silver medals at the recently held Asian Games in Indonesia’s Jakarta.

Junior World Champion and Asian Games medalist Hima trained in the lush green rice fields of Dhing and then touched dizzying heights of success at Tampere in Finland when she became the only Indian athlete to have won gold at an international event – at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships.

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