Odisha’s Dutee Chand likely to participate in World Athletics Championships

Bhubaneswar: Indian sprinter from Odisha Dutee Chand is likely to participate in World Athletics Championships in London as she has been invited by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) even after failing in women’s 100m event to qualify for the international competition.

As the target number of 56 women athletes for 100m event was not reached for the World Athletics Championships scheduled from August 4-13 in London, the IAAF offered Dutee a quota entry to take part in women’s 100m race.

Dutee had claimed two bronze medals in 100m relay and 100m race in recently concluded Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar earlier this month. She missed the National Inter-State Athletics Championships held at Guntur from 15-18 July due to ill health.

However, with the invitation from IAAF, Dutee became the second athlete from the State to take part in the world championships.

“I had lost hope to participate in the mega competition in London. Now, I feel extremely happy to hear the news. I had two goals in the beginning of the year to get medals in Asian Athletics Championships and to qualify for World Athletics Championships. But, I could not do my best in the Asian Athletics and bagged only bronze for the country. I am happy to have received the invitation from IAAF despite failing the qualification standard,” Dutee was quoted as saying by a leading vernacular Daily ‘Sambad’.

Earlier, sprinter Jauna Murmu was the first woman from Odisha to have participated in 400m relay in World Athletics Championships.

Recently, Dutee faced a huge jolt after IAAF decided to reopen the ‘gender case’ of women athletes. The boy has decided to submit fresh evidence at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland barring women athletes, who produced natural testosterone (male hormones) above permissible range, from taking part in competitions.

However, Indian government has assured to help Dutee in fighting her case against the IAAF.

Even the issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha by BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who batted for Dutee saying she has potentiality to win a gold medal for the country in Olympics.

Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar said that the issue will be taken up with the Sports Minister Vijay Goel and assured the government will look into the matter.