Unapologetic Dutee Chand revealed that she is in a same-sex relationship with a younger relative, becoming the first Indian sportsperson to have publicly admitted it. The upfront athlete might be facing expulsion from family yet the story of this star runner is extraordinary.
India's fastest woman Dutee is not only battling a tough phase of acceptance in her family now but has had fought many such occurrences in her life that prove to have made her only stronger. Let's check out the instances that make her the badass sport star of the country.
On the right tracks
This Odisha-born athlete started off running when she was just four years old. Dutee was 10 when she began professional training but it wasn't quite a smooth ride since initially she used to train barefoot.
Story behind the nickname ‘Nano’
She claimed the nickname ‘Nano’ after winning the car by Tata for her outstanding performance in the 2013 school nationals.
She claimed the nickname ‘Nano’ after winning the car by Tata for her outstanding performance in the 2013 school nationals.
At 17, Chand became the top sprinter in the country, winning 100m at the Ranchi Senior National games. After winning many nationals, she became the first woman to represent India in the finals of a 100m sprint in a world event in 2012.
Breaking a 36-years drought
The twin gold medals at the 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, Dutee ensured another record by becoming the first Indian woman athlete in 36 years to qualify for the 100m event in the Olympics after PT Usha competed in the 100m and 200m at the 1980 Moscow Games.
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This 23-year-old runner stunningly led the women’s relay team which smashed the 18-year-old national record with their sprint at IAAF World Challenge in Beijing in 2016. They made it to the 4th position in the competition and that gave them the ticket to Rio. The last time an Indian relay team reached an Olympic final was 12 years ago in Athens.
READ: Dutee Chand Faces Backlash From Family Over Same Sex Relationship
Winning a landmark 'gender' case
Dutee faced a fair share of controversy as well. She was banned for a considerable amount of time from competing in events (including the Glasgow Commonwealth Games) in 2014, after a controversial hormone test hyperandrogenism (excess of male hormones).
But Dutee won a landmark 'gender' case against the IAAF in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration in 2015 and she was allowed to compete after being banned for one year. The ruling was overturned and since then she has gone from strength to strength. Notably, she championed over her weaknesses and post the ban she continued her training at Gopichand Badminton Academy.
National record broken
The sensational athlete last year broke her 100m national record to become the fastest woman on the final day of the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships. She also clinched the gold in the final, becoming one of the crucial gold medal contenders for the Asian Games.
Dutee ‘s new 100m mark
She also bettered her own national record in the women's 100m heats of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019. Dutee was the fastest qualifier as she clocked 11.28s in the heats, breaking her own National record of 11.29s set in Guwahati last year.
Coming out of the closet
The Indian Express quoted Dutee revealing that she has found a soul mate, a girl from her hometown of Chaka Gopalpur in Odisha and she has never been happier. She also confirmed that her partner is a younger relative, and now she is facing a tough battle of acceptance in her family.
"I am having a relationship with a 19-year-old woman. My eldest sister has threatened me that she will send me to jail for having this relationship. But I am also an adult who has individual freedom. So, I decided to go ahead with this and make it public," Dutee claimed
Meanwhile, Dutee's mother blames KIIT for her daughter's same-sex relationship, says, “Being a girl, how she can marry another girl. It is a conspiracy by KIIT lecturers to usurp my daughter's prize money.”
Aiming ahead
On the work front, a confident Dutee said, “I will continue my athletics career. I am going to take part in the World University Games next month and hope to qualify for the World Championships later this year. My aim to qualify for next year's Olympics, so I am training hard.”
She is currently training in Hyderabad to qualify for the World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics, slated to be held in 2020.
More Power to You!
Read More Stories By Ria Das
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