Harmilan Bains confirmed as contestant on MTV Roadies Rebirth

Harmilan Bains will appear as a contestant on MTV Roadies Rebirth, the 21st edition of the series, which is set to premiere on October 16.

The 28-year-old Indian middle-distance runner, born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab in 1998, is a two-time Asian Games silver medallist and the 2024 Asian Indoor champion. She competes in the 800m, 1500m and 3000m steeplechase and comes from an athletic family; her mother, Madhuri Saxena, won silver in the 800m at the 2002 Busan Asian Games. At the 2021 National Open Championships Bains recorded 4:05.39 in the 1500m, a time the report describes as having beaten Sunita Rani’s national mark "at the time."

The article states Bains’ career has been disrupted by frequent injuries. After two years away from competition she returned and finished third in her 10,000m debut in Pune, but the report adds that pain resurfaced and forced her into another extended absence from the track.

Bains confirmed her participation on Threads, according to the story. Roadies Rebirth will air on JioHotstar and MTV, with episodes scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 PM, and Rannvijay Singha set to return as host.

The programme’s format, the article notes, sends contestants through physical, mental and social challenges. This season’s six gang leaders are divided into two camps: the OGs — Nikhil Chinapa, Neha Dhupia and Prince Narula — and the NewGs — Abhishek Malhan, VJ Bani and Baseer Ali.

The report points out that injuries have prevented Bains from competing on the field recently and that she has been seeking other opportunities. It also states that the Roadies format requires physical tasks and that she will need to take care not to aggravate existing problems while participating.

There is no confirmation in the article that Bains has retired from athletics or whether she will return to competition in the future. The confirmed next step in the report is her appearance on Roadies Rebirth, beginning with the show’s October 16 premiere and its subsequent Friday and Saturday broadcasts at 7 PM on JioHotstar and MTV.