Dutee Chand, Hima Das Qualify For Jakarta Asian Games

Dutee Chand of Odisha has qualified and got the go-ahead for the Jakarta Asian Games after clocking 23.41 seconds in women's 100m event in the National Inter State Athletics Championships. The Asian Games start on August 18. Other athletes who booked Asiad berths are Hima Das, Jauna Murmu, Rutaparna Panda and Sanjukta Dung Dung.

The 58^th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2018 has kickstarted in Guwahati on June 26

Odisha’s ace sprinters Dutee Chand and Srabani Nanda clinched silver and bronze medals respectively in the 200-metre women's running event at the ongoing 58th National Inter-state Senior Athletics Championships on Wednesday at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium.

Dutee clocked 23.41 seconds, and Srabani 23.87 seconds. Another local favourite, Assam’s Hima Das, won the gold medal of the event, clocking 23.10 seconds.

Shuttler Rutaparna Panda and rower Sanjukta Dung Dung have also been selected for Jakarta Asian Games-2018

Dutee Chand and Jauna Murmu are the other two Odia athletes who were selected earlier in their respective disciplines for the Asian Games.

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Talking to Kalinga TV, Dutee said, “I am delighted on my today’s performance and will give my best effort for the 100m and 100X4 events.”

“I am confident that I will also qualify for both 100m and 100X4m events”, added the sprinter who was training with coach N Ramesh in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, tweeted, congratulating the athletes:

Congratulate our girls Dutee Chand, Jauna Murmu, Rutaparna Panda and Sanjukta Dung Dung on qualifying for @asiangames2018 in their respective disciplines. Wish them my best for the tournament. Aim for the podium! #AsianGames2018

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 27, 2018

"I am happy to have run my personal best at my home track. It is special," said Hima, TOI reported.

Born in Dhing village in Assam's Nagaon district, Hima clocked 23.22 in Poland earlier this month during the training-cum-exposure tour. Asked if she thinks she can break the national record of 22.82 of Saraswati Saha during the Asian Games, she said, "I cannot say that now and everybody will see when I run the race there in the Asian Games."

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