'Hima Das needs to keep things uncomplicated to qualify for Olympics': Gagan Narang

Mumbai: Hima Das grabbed headlines after winning four gold medals in 200m and one in 400m sprint in the span of just 20 days. Even though some of Das' performances came against fellow track and field compatriots, her efforts are being praised all over social media.

Gagan Narang, who clinched bronze medal for India in London Olympics believes that people noticing Das' achievements is great for the sport.

"The country is deprived of champions. We need to build champions for the ecosystem. When you have champs, people look up to them and are encouraged to take up sports. It is very important that we have champions in every field, that is how the sport moves forward. That is why Hima Das' achievement is important. It is great that people are noticing her. Social media has a strong presence now," Gagan Narang told NDTV.

Narang described the pressure of being in the Olympics and what Das needs to do in future. Narang also stressed on the fact that Das needs to keep things uncomplicated and her focus also needs to be very clear.

"An athlete is hungry for all the help he/she can get in terms of mental, physical, psychological aspect. One major mistake athletes make is get over complicated when games draw close. Hima needs to keep this uncomplicated, and keep doing things that she has been doing," said Narang.

Even though Das has delivered phenomenal performances lately, some people are not convinced with her effort as the timings are not enough to qualify for the World Championships in Doha in September.

 "You need to compete against better people. In the four 200m races she ran in Europe, she was not running against runners who are better than her. You would like to compete against better people, people who train harder." said senior journalist G Rajaraman.

Das' brand value has tripled due to her consistent performances and increasing popularity. Today, Das commands around Rs 60 lakh per endorsement, as against Rs 30-35 lakh previously.

"Her performances have made our job easier. Brand value is directly proportional to consistent performances. People are talking about the World Championship and the Olympics here. She has a long way to go. We can't put her under pressure," said her manager Neerav Tomar, the Managing Director of IOS Sports.