Dutee Chand

Dutee Chand
Personal information
Born 3 February 1996
Gopalpur, Odisha, India
Sport
Sport Track and field
Event(s) Sprints
Club ONGC
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 100 m: 11.62
(Donetsk 2013)
200 m: 23.73
(Ranchi 2013)
Updated on 3 October 2013.

Dutee Chand (born 3 February 1996) is Indian professional sprinter. She is being supported by Anglian Medal Hunt Company, a foundation that supports Indian athletes. She is the current national champion in women's 100 metres event.[1]

Early life

Chand was born on 3 February 1996 to Chakradhar Chand and Akhuji Chand in Gopalpur, in the Jajpur district of Odisha.[2][3] She is one of four daughters born to the poor weaver couple. Her source of inspiration comes from her elder sister Saraswati Chand, who was an athlete herself. In 2013, she enrolled in the KIIT University to pursue law.[4]

Career

Dutee Chand, in 2012 became a national champion in the under-18 category when she clocked 11.8 seconds in the 100 meters event.[5] Clocking 23.811 seconds, Chand won the bronze in the 200 metres event at the Asian Championships in Pune. The year also saw her become the first Indian to reach the final of a global athletics 100 meters final, when she reached the final in the 2013 World Youth Championships.[6] In the same year, she became the national champion in 100 metres and 200 metres when she won the events clocking 11.73 s in the final in 100 metres and a career-best 23.73 s in 200 metres at the National Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi.[1][7]

Commonwealth Games Controversy

Dutee was dropped from the Commonwealth Games contingent at the last minute after the Athletic Federation of India stated that hyperandrogenism made her ineligible to compete as a female athlete. Government is trying to explore CAS option in Dutee's case [8] There has been no suggestion that Chand has been involved in cheating or doping — the decision was made in compliance with International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations on “female hyperandrogenism” designed to address a perceived advantage for female athletes with high androgen levels.The decision has been condemned by Australian intersex advocates[9] The Athletic Federation of India and IAAF’s actions were widely criticised as an affront to Dutee’s privacy and human rights.[10]

Santhi Soundarajan support to Dutee Chand

Santhi extended her support to Dutee and said the youngster should not be victimized. She also expressed her dismay at the lack of sensitivity in the handling of the Dutee Chand issue, fearing that the young athlete’s future may have now been jeopardized. Santhi demanded that all steps be taken to ensure the 18-year-old’s return to the track.[11]

“They have tested Dutee at the last minute, humiliated her and broken her heart, all sorts of things have been written about her. Now, if she re-enters the sports field, things will not be normal. Even if she takes treatment, people will kill her with their suspicious gaze. The matter could have been dealt with discreetly.That things became public, is wrong. Would they have done it if it was their daughter?. Who is responsible for her future now? The job and the money are secondary problems. Think about how much she would have suffered. She is not from a wealthy or powerful family; just another ordinary family. Even if she gets help from the State association, can she stay in peace in her village? She will find it tough to get married. Dutee is not the problem but the system is problem, a athlete cannot fail their gender.”[12]

— Santhi Soundarajan about Dutee Chand

References

External links