Dutee Chand wins 100m race at Indian Grand Prix meet

Bhubaneswar: Dutee Chand, an ace female Sprinter from Odisha, won the women’s 100-metre race in 11.51 seconds at the Indian Grand Prix I meet today.

The Indian Grand Prix, the first post-COVID track and field meet, was held at the at National Institute of Sports, Patiala and around 85 athletes have been participating in it.

Although Dutee, whose personal best and national record is 11.24 seconds for 100m dash, missed this year’s Olympic Games qualification time of 11.15 seconds, she looks on course to book a ticket to Japan.

Racing after nearly 15 months, as the domestic calendar was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, Dutee, Asian Games silver medallist in 100m and 200m, didn’t face any challenge from her rivals at Patiala’s National Institute of Sports (NIS), and maintained her winning streak in the domestic circuit.

In January, 24 year old Dutee had planned to compete in a 60m track race at the Almaty Indoor international competition, but the event was cancelled at the eleventh hour because of Covid-19.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated Dutee after she won the 100-metre race at the Indian Grand Prix.

“Congratulate #Odisha’s ace sprinter @DuteeChand on winning women’s 100m race at the Indian Grand Prix held at National Institute of Sports, Patiala. Wish her the best for future,” tweeted the Chief Minister.

Odisha’s Amiya Kumar Mallick, national 100m record holder in the men’s event, finished third with a time of 10.89 seconds, behind Maharashtra’s Krishnakumar Satish Rane, who won gold in 10.68 sec, and second-placed Kerala’s Muhammad Anas Yahiya, a 400m specialist and national record holder, who clocked 10.70 sec.

“Since it was the season’s first race, I took it easy,” said Mallick.

(With Agency Inputs)