People will have a lot of fun watching the mixed relay: Hima Das

You must have heard about the floods in Kerala. Your state, Assam, has also faced massive flooding in the past. What do you have to say to the people of Kerala?

I am extremely sad. I saw on Facebook, a day or two ago, that 80 per cent of the state had been submerged. I pray to God that everything becomes better very soon.

Some of your teammates are from Kerala. How have you been supporting them?

I am supporting them, for sure. I will support everyone. We have come here as a family.

You come across as a confident person. Where does that come from?

I don’t know where it comes from. It’s God-given. As I see it, the track is 400m everywhere. The name of the games will change, the place will change, but the track will remain the same. There’s nothing special about it.

After your world record performance in Tampere, there are a lot of expectations.

Of course, there will be expectations. I won gold in such a big competition. I consider myself lucky that I was the first Indian to do so [win a gold medal at an international track event]. I will try my best. Every day, every night, all the time. I want to better my timing in each race.

How are preparations for the mixed relay event? Is there any special training required?

It’s good that they have introduced mixed relay in the Asian Games. People will have a lot of fun watching it. As far as practice goes, it is the same as in the women’s relay. The baton exchange is the same. But, the coach will decide at the time on who will start the race and who will carry it forward.

So, let’s say a male athlete is starting for another country. Will every country have to do the same?

No, no. It’s not like that. Each country decides on how to structure the race. We can start with the women, or with the men. It can be two women upfront, or two men. Or they could be mixed.

If you win a medal, how big would that be for Assam?

Let’s see what happens after the race. There’s only been one track and field athlete from Assam before me. His name was Bhogeswar Baruah (he had won gold in the 800m event at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok). After a 50-year gap, another athlete has come from the state. If I win a medal, it will be special for India, and also for Assam. Let’s see what I can do.

You are proud of your state. You always carry around your gamcha.

My gamcha stays with me. My mother gave it to me. It has each drop of my sweat.

Who will be your main competitor?

I am my own competitor. I don’t think about others. I just want to have the best timing. And that is why I am not nervous.

But somewhere in your mind, you must have the timings of others on your mind.

I have nothing on my mind. If you tell me to run now, I’ll run. Of course, everyone gets nervous, but it doesn’t show. Even Olympic champions get nervous.

Any predictions about your medal chances?

I just want to focus on my practice for now. We’ll see when the race happens.

Why did you colour your hair?

It’s just my style. Why does Neeraj bhaiyya grow his hair? Everyone has their own style. I’ve had this streak even before I started running.

What’s your favourite event?

That’s like asking a mother to choose between her children. If she loves one, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love the other.