Hima out of Worlds due to back problem

New Delhi, September 18 

World junior champion Hima Das has been ruled out of the upcoming World Championships due to a nagging back problem. “Unfortunately Hima will not be able to compete at the World Championships in Doha due to her back injury,” Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla said.

AFI had on September 9 named seven women, including Hima, for the 4x400m relay and 4x400m mixed relay races at the World Championships to be held from September 27 to October 6. However, Hima’s participation in the relay events became a matter of intense speculation after she was left out of the initial entries of the Indian women athletes for the two relay races submitted by AFI to the international body (IAAF) for the showpiece event. Hima has been suffering from lower-back pain after competing at the Asian Games last year. She pulled out of the individual 400m heats midway through the race at the Asian Championships in Doha in April. — PTI