Young Sprinter Heena Mallick Sets New Asian Record in 400m Race
Sixteen-year-old Heena Mallick from West Bengal’s Nadia district has made a name for herself in the world of athletics. The young sprinter has broken the Asian U-18 record in the 400m race, finishing with a time of 52.98 seconds at the Tashkent National Open. She has outdone Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, the 2019 world champion, whose previous record was 53.02 seconds.
Heena has been training under coach Arjun Ajay in the high altitude of Ooty since November 2019 and has shown significant progress this season. Her impressive debut at the National Open, where she set the U-16 national record, clocking 53.22 seconds, was followed by an outstanding performance in Tashkent.
Heena gives credit to her coach and her mindset for her success. Ajay encouraged her to focus and believe in herself, and Heena followed his advice, leading from the start in the Tashkent race. “It has given me a lot of confidence, but I am not looking too far ahead. I do not want to be overconfident. I have to do better,” she says.
Heena’s coach is keen to ensure that her progress is steady, rather than pushing her too hard too soon. Although Heena has an India leading time this season, Ajay is yet to decide whether to aim for the Asian Games in September.
Heena’s parents are kabaddi players, and her father introduced her to sprints when she was just five. She has grown up idolizing multiple Olympic medalist Allyson Felix and has emulated her smooth style of running.
Re-reported from the story originally published in Hindustan Times
