Harmilan Bains bags gold in Asian athletics meet

Chandigarh, February 17

Days after shifting to Chandigarh from Punjab and courting a controversy, Harmilan Bains bagged the 1500m gold medal at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran today.

Harmilan won the top honour in the women’s 1500m event with a timing of 4:29.55. This is her first medal after winning two silver medals (1500m and 800m) in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Also, it’s her first medal after shifting to Chandigarh. The Punjab Government claimed that she is legally liable to play for Punjab after receiving cash award from the state in January.

Meanwhile, another Indian athlete Jyothi Yarraji registered a new national record and personal best to win gold in the women’s 60m hurdles with a timing of 8:12 seconds.

Harmilan is registered under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) of the Indian Government. In the Hangzhou Asian Games, she had clocked 2:03.75s to win the 800m silver medal, while in the 1500m event, she bagged the second position with the timings 4:12.74s.

Athletics runs in Harmilan’s family as her father Amandeep Bains is a South Asian Games medallist in 1500m, and mother Madhuri Saxena is a 2002 Asian Games silver medallist in 800m.