Harmilan Bains Reveals Contemplation of Suicide After Missing Olympics Qualification

Harmilan Bains doesn't know what life is without challenges. After an unbeaten streak in every individual race in 2021, Harmilan went for a knee surgery that kept her out for 10 months. Returning to action, she went on to win silver medals in both the women's 800m and 1500m categories.

The former national record holder in the women's 1500m, Bains shared that she was depressed after failing to qualify for the Olympics and once even contemplated suicide, using her situation to send an inspiring message to the nation's young athletes.

"My message is enjoy your sport, don't be so stressed, because I was under stress after missing my Olympics. I was almost in depression. Thoughts were coming in my mind, like suicide and just quitting everything, run away from my city. My message to the parents is to let your child do whatever they want to and to the youngsters it is never too late to change your sport, your profession just enjoy whatever it is you're doing," Harmilan Bains told IANS.

Guest of Honour at the final of the 63rd Subroto Cup Junior Boys which was held at the Dr Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, Bains gushed about the tournament doing wonders for football grassroots.

I would like to thank the Air Force for bringing me out here; I am enjoying a lot and it's really a good opportunity for the athletes to perform at such a platform at such a young age," she added.

Manipur's T.G English School won the 63rd Subroto Cup beating Meghalaya's Myngken Christian Higher Secondary School 4-3 via sudden death tie-breaker after both teams were locked 1-1 in regulation time.

Conclusively, Bains went on to talk about the incredible performance put on by the Indian contingent at the 2024 Paris Paralympics after the country bettered their previous record of 19 medals at the Tokyo Paralympics in a landslide by winning 29 medals that saw the nation finish 18th in the medal tally.

I am so happy for the para-athletes, and it was for the first time that India ranked so high in the medal tally," concluded Bains.