HYDERABAD: When she was ejected from India’s squad just before the 2014 Commonwealth Games owing to a condition known as hyperandrogenism (presence of higher-than-usual levels of testosterone in females), Dutee Chand had no other option but to return to Chaka Gopalpur, her village in Odisha.
Then she had a paltry Rs 500 in her bank account. Fast forward four years, and she now holds a mammoth cheque for Rs 3 crore gifted to her by the Odisha Government for her recent exploits at the Asian Games. The Odisha sprinter has seen the extremities of life: from being almost penniless and humiliated for her hormonal condition, to owning crores. Her two silvers — in 100 and 200m — in Jakarta have changed it all. On Saturday, she was back at the only place that had given her refuge in January 2015: Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy.
Dutee has laid out a plan for what she intends to do with that money. “A lot of it is needed to stay relevant at the international level. I will use it to train in a better way,” she told Express. The 100m specialist’s parents still live in that village, and the condition of their house is far from proper. Dutee wants to change that. “I want to rebuild the house as it is not in a good state. It is quite small. I have four younger sisters, whose education has to be taken care of. The money will also help me with their marriage expenses,” the beaming runner explained.
Dutee has also been promised a car by former first-class cricketer V Chamundeswaranath.
Not too long ago, it was just Dutee and her coach N Ramesh who trained hard at Gachibowli Stadium, situated near the academy. That changed after Pullela Gopichand Foundation and Mytrah Foundation stepped in about a year and a half ago.
“Ramesh sir used to travel about 30 km every day to pick me up from the academy at 4 a.m to take me for training sessions at the stadium. Then he was given accommodation nearby, and that solved a lot of problems,” recalled Dutee. As reported by this daily before the Games, the initiative also provides physiotherapists and a masseuse to the athlete.
The duo was handed cheques of `5 lakh by the Mytrah Foundation on Saturday. “The people at the academy have been like family to me,” the 22-year-old said, while thanking Gopichand. From facing situations where people referred to her as a “man” to becoming the first Indian woman since PT Usha in 1986 to grab medals in both events, the athlete — who resides in Room 105 at the academy — has laid to rest the ghosts of her past. She has now trained her guns on the 2019 Asian Athletics Championship and the 2020 Olympics. “There are no big events this year. So, I will take a few weeks rest as advised by Ramesh sir, and then start preparations in October.”
Dutee will leave for her village on Sunday. A boisterous homecoming won’t come as a surprise.
vishal@newindianexpress.com