KOLKATA: “I rocked the world while you were sleeping,” said the 18-year-old athlete Hima Das to her father on phone line after bagging the first gold medal for India.

Golden girl Hima broke records after running like the wind in the 400m race at the IAAF World U-20 meet in Finland. She reportedly cried when her father told her “we were all awake to watch you run on television.”

Besides a sports enthusiast, the world-class athlete is a socially conscious teenager who took the lead in demolishing country liquor vends in her village Dhing and its neighborhood. According to her neighbor “She has never scared to speak out against illegal things. Hima is a role model for us and for the country.”

Hima Das wanted to play football for India two year ago. But she made the change at the behest of her teacher Shamshul Shaikh, who was impressed by her speed while playing football, and shifted to athletics.

The incredible story of the feisty girl continued when Nipon Das, one of her two coaches, convinced her parents to let her shift to Dharwad. A local doctor Pratul Sharma helped Hima by raising money for her lodging.

While Nipon Das believes that Hima can win gold at the Asian Games and even break the 50-second mark, Hima is a source of motivation for another coach Ranjit.

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Davangere: Reports state that two groups engaged in stone pelting at each other during Ganesha idol immersion ceremony in Davangere on Thursday. Two police personnel were injured in the incident.

Few days ago, two groups of youth engaged in verbal altercation regarding raising of a flag for Eid Milad celebration. On account of the clashes, police had heightened security for the Ganesha procession. Despite the additional security, stones were pelted at the procession, sources stated. Inspector Gururaj and constable Raghavendra were injured in the incident. The procession continued after the police brought the situation to control. However, the stone pelting resumed once again as the procession surged forwards.

Security has been tightened up in the area and all shops have been closed down by the police. The two police personnel, who were injured in the stone pelting, are undergoing treatment at a hospital.