If one leaves out Anjali Devi, who is now under a provisional suspension for failing a dope test, Himanshi Malik is the country’s fastest quartermiler this year.
But the 21-year-old from Rohtak, who clocked a stunning 51.76s (fourth fastest time in Asia this year) to take the silver behind Anjali (51.48s) at the Inter-State Nationals in Bhubaneswar in mid-June, could only manage a shocking 57.59s as she finished 15th overall — the women’s 400m was held as two races, A & B — at the Indian Grand Prix in Chandigarh early this week.
According to sources close to her, Himanshi has suffered a knee injury and that is the reason for the poor show. But her names figures in the list of athletes who have been cleared by the Government for the Asian Games which begins in Hangzhou, China, next week.
She is listed to run the individual 400m and the women’s 4x400m relay where India has won the gold in the last five editions of the Asian Games.
So, will Himanshi be going to Hangzhou?
“Doctors will decide,” Adille Sumariwalla, the president of the Athletics Federation of India, told The Hindu on Friday.
Soon after the recent Indian GP, the AFI had announced that Prachi — third overall in Chandigarh with 53.01s — will be included in the 4x400m relay team, but it did not reveal who would be dropped.
And will there be any change in the two entries in the women’s 400m?
“Will decide 24 hours before the event,” said Sumariwalla.
Tamil Nadu’s Vithya Ramraj, who won the 400m at the Chandigarh IGP with a personal best 52.40s, is the top contender to take Himanshi’s place if a change is possible. She is now among Asia’s top 400m hurdlers and is almost sure to run the 4x400m relay too.
The relay teams are likely to leave for Hangzhou from Bengaluru on September 25.
