Twenty-five-year-old Harmilan Bains won two silver medals for India in the 1500 meters and 800 meters in the Asian Games 2023. Bains' mother, Madhuri Singh, was also a medal winner, taking home a silver medal in the 800 meters in the Busan Asian Games in 2002.
Bains spoke with Sputnik India and shared her experience, plans, and what inspired her to win the medal.
Sputnik India: How does it feel to win Asian Games medals for the country?
Bains: Winning a medal for any athlete in the country is the dream of the athlete. I can’t express my feelings in words. How special and proud I feel for winning right now.
Sputnik India: How are you working towards improving your performance for the Olympics?
Bains: My plans are totally based on the situation. As of now, I had all my attention on the Asian games, and now, the games are over. My next target is the Olympics, and I have yet to make a plan for it.
Sputnik India: Last year, you could not participate in the World Athletics Championship as you underwent knee surgery, but now you have won a medal. Could you share with us your preparations leading up to the Asian Games?
Bains: Last year, when I missed the World Athletics Championship, it was one of the most painful moments of my life. Had I participated in the championship, it would have been my life's first international senior competition. I made my national record that time, and I knew that I could do much better at that time.
This time, my peak was good, the things that I missed last year, I completed this year.
I had plica syndrome (a knee injury), for which I underwent surgery, which put me out of action for another ten months. The pain started in January, but the pain was at its peak during April, and I underwent surgery in May. For the whole year, I was in bed.
Sputnik India: Your mother is also an Asian Games silver medallist, and your father is an athlete. How does it make you feel? Is it competitive at home or more supportive?
Bains: My parents are way happier than me. Mom had one medal, and now I have two silvers. The target was obviously to win gold, but for the next Asian games, I’ll try to change this silver to gold.
Sputnik India: Could you also tell us about the mental pressure an athlete had at the time of the game? How do you handle it?
Bains: When you’re representing internationally for the country. Many people already know you and are hoping for medals from you. However, after winning silver in the 1500 meters, I received so many messages, and so many people started tagging me, which went double the time I was attempting for 800 meters.
I was completely exhausted after 1500 meters, but I had to improve for 800 meters. At these times, one should remember their training and what efforts we have put in.
Sputnik India: When you were just 13, you faced a ban for two years for a random fault. Would you like to speak about that time — your family supported you?
Bains: When I faced a ban, that was a bad time. I was carrying someone's mistake on my name. I was suffering from typhoid, and he gave me steroids. And later, a doctor realized that you cannot give steroids to me (a sportsperson).