For many like Harmilan Kaur Bains, representing India runs in the family

When Harmilan won gold in both the 800 metres and the 1500 metres at the Khelo India University Games in 2020, she had told her father not to travel to Bhubaneshwar because she wanted peace of mind before the races.

3 min readUpdated: Jan 1, 2024 09:04 PM IST

When Harmilan Kaur Bains, 25, was in Class V, her parents had given her a life goal - to win an Asian Games medal.

An Express Investigation: For the last couple of months, 15 reporters gathered data about all of India’s Asian Games medallists in Hangzhou. The analysis provided a few clear-cut trends and some fascinating journeys of athletes that highlight those.

39 — No. of medallists who followed in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents to take up a career in sport.

When Harmilan Kaur Bains, 25, was in Class V, her parents had given her a life goal – to win an Asian Games medal. Running was in her blood. Her mother Madhuri Singh won a silver in the 800 metres at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, her father Amandeep is a South Asian Games medalist in the 1500 metres.

In the fast lane to 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑, @HarmilanBains finishes on the podium of the 19th #AsianGames 🏃‍♀️💨#SonySportsNetwork #Cheer4India #Hangzhou2022 #IssBaar100Paar | @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/IBjSarohID

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) October 1, 2023

Harmilan began playing lawn tennis during a time when Sania Mirza was a household name but after four months, her parents asked her to drop out because there was no coach in Hoshiarpur.

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“There was immense pressure on me because both my parents were athletes. There were advantages too but my parents were controlling my training schedule, workouts. For example, my coach had fixed a training schedule but my parents also had theirs for me,” Harmilan said. Her father would often turn up at races and shout out instructions during the last lap. Her mother realising that Harmilan had a mind of her own wasn’t as pushy.

When Harmilan won gold in both the 800 metres and the 1500 metres at the Khelo India University Games in 2020, she had told her father not to travel to Bhubaneshwar because she wanted peace of mind before the races.

“From 5th standard, my parents started to tell me ‘Milan do win a medal at Asian Games’. I was thinking at that time what if I aim to win an Olympic medal. They wanted one medal. I got two of them. After I returned from the Hangzhou Asia Games, papa told me, I am not going to instruct you anymore. You can train the way you want now,” Harmilan said.

When Madhuri was expecting Harmilan, she had to appear for trials for her job at the Punjab State Electricity Board. A few months later she was mother to a daughter who would go one-up on her and bag two medals at the Asiad.

Nihal Koshie

Nihal Koshie is an Associate Editor and sports writer at The Indian Express. He is best known for his in-depth reporting and investigative work that often explores the intersection of sports and social issues. He is also a key member of the sports desk, which is based out of The Indian Express' office in Noida. Professional Background Role: Associate Editor (Sports) at The Indian Express. Key Achievements: He is a two-time winner of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. He won the RNG award for 'Sports Journalism' for 2019 for his exclusive interview and follow up stories with sprinter Dutee Chand, who became the first Indian athlete to say she was in a same-sex relationship. He won his second RNG award in the 'Investigative Reporting' for 2023 for a series of exclusive stories related to sexual harassment charges levelled against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by the country's top women wrestlers. Expertise: While he covers major sports, he is particularly recognized for his extensive reporting on Athletics, investigative stories and long-form news features. Recent Notable Topics & Articles (Late 2025) Nihal Koshie’s recent work reflects a focus on investigative and human-interest stories Recent investigative pieces: He recently wrote a profile of an Indian teenager serving a jail sentence in Kenya after being embroiled in a doping scandal while chasing "Olympic dreams." Wrestling: He continues to track the political and social fallout of the Indian wrestling protests, including the recent public appearances of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the political career of wrestler Vinesh Phogat. Recent long-form features: The story of the rise of Kranti Gaud, the young fast bowler who was a key member of the ICC women's World Cup-winning team; The physics and science behind modern cricket bats Podcast Presence He is a guest and contributor to the "Game Time" podcast by The Indian Express, where he provides technical and social analysis of current sporting events. Experience: 24+ years Previous experience: Times of India (2001-2005), Daily News and Analysis (2005 to 2010) Nihal joined The Indian Express in May, 2010 Social Media X ( formerly Twitter) : @nkoshie You can follow his latest work and full archive on his official author profile. ... Read More

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