Rezoana Heena Mallick came into the searchlight recently by breaking an 11-year-old record in the Open National Championship in 400 meters in the under-16 category in Thiruvananthapuram early this year. The 17-year-old girl, exhibiting startling speed with her tall frame and wiry build created a new national record in the event clocking 53.22 seconds. 

Heena Mallick has got the reward following her stupendous performance. She has been selected in the Indian squad to participate in the Asian Youth Championship, to be held in Tashkent from 27th to 30th April. 

His coach Arjun Ajay who scouted her watching Hena's running video on Instagram divulged while speaking to Parallel Sports, "I could see that she was training on a grass field in a rural area. She was doing step jumps, hurdle drills, and stride training. She might not have had any great results but looked highly potential. She was tall, around five feet seven inches. Her stride pattern was impressive. The way she struck the ground with her foot helped me think that if she is nurtured properly, especially with good strength training, she could deliver a lot. She had an excellent hip extension and looked like she was attacking the track from the start. This was someone I felt could be pushed." 

Heena who returned to Bangalore following a week's high-altitude training under the supervision of Arjun Ajay however did not sound jubilant. Even when his coach says "She can clock below 53 seconds in the 400 meters in the Asian Youth Championship," Heena replied, "I should not be overconfident." 

Rather Heena who originally hails from a village named Shondanga in Nadia district West Bengal expresses gratefulness for her parents and coach. 

She asserted saying, "My father Rezaul Islam Mallick is a Para-teacher in our village school and it becomes almost impossible to run my expenditure from that job only. So he wakes up at 3 AM every morning, goes to another place to earn money, returns home by 10 AM, and then goes to school. Even after that rigorous schedule, he does private tuition. My mother Anima Mallick also takes care of me every time, often traveling to Bangalore from our village to look after me. In a bid to bring smiles to their faces, I must try to win medals." Heena paid gratitude to her coach saying, "Sir helps me a lot. I am indebted to him. Besides, his style of training is so motivating that I cannot describe. His coaching has been one of my biggest boosts." 

At the same time, Heena paid gratitude to Kolkata Ultra Trust, a Non-Government-Organization (NGO) which has come up with financial assistance for the athlete for last couple of years. Heena stated, “They provide nutritious food, sometimes my kit and even a monthly stipend. My former coach Kalyan Chowdhury took the initiative so that I can sustain. I am also thankful to them.” 

Heena's mother Anima Mallick who is with her daughter now in Bangalore revealed that the monthly expenditure for her daughter reaches nearly Rs 30 thousand. She did not hesitate to mention, "Heena's coach has a major contribution. He also spends money for her, providing necessary things whenever required."

Arjun Ajay who turned full-time athletics coach in 2018, is optimistic about her student commenting, "I have set her dream for Olympics ultimately. She is now number one ranked in the world in her event in the under-18 category. Still, I never put any stress through any kind of overtraining. Let her grow spontaneously. She has the potential to bring glory to the country at the senior level from different international competitions in the future."