NEW DELHI: With seven months to go for the Tokyo Olympics, India’s best sprinter Dutee Chand is still short of the qualification mark of 11.15 sec by .07 seconds. But the Odisha sprinter still believes she has it in her to make the cut but wants to participate in international competitions to realise that goal.
Her reasoning is that the level here in India is not that high, which in turn, does not allow her to maximise her potential. “Indian runners try hard but are not quite at that level yet. I have to mostly run on my own during Indian meets. If I run abroad in quality meets, I will face tough opposition and I can push myself even more. I have written to AFI and hopefully, I can get a few opportunities soon,” she told this daily on the sidelines of the Ekamra Sports Literature Festival here.
Due to the lack of quality, she has hired a personal team which includes three male runners, an assistant coach, a physiotherapist, a masseuse as well as a dietitian. She currently trains in Bhubaneswar under the watchful eyes of long-term coach N Ramesh. “I took this step after my disappointing performance in last year’s Commonwealth Games. Running with men has helped me improve a lot. And having instant help on the sidelines in terms of recovery and proper diet cannot be stressed enough.”
But all these entail a lot of cost. And the Asian Games silver medallist revealed that contrary to the view held by the outside world, she needs sponsors to help her in her quest. For this the 23-year-old has even written to the sports minister to include her in the TOP scheme but it has not worked out as of yet.
“The private team needs almost `4 lakh a month. On top of that, dietary supplements are also there. The Odisha government has helped a lot but for a professional athlete, constant support is of utmost importance. I had written to the previous minister as well as the current one but I’m still to be included in the flagship program. Hopefully, next year I can get it as I do not want distractions to hamper my practice.”
Apart from her exploits on the track, her personal life has also come under a lot of scrutiny since her revelation regarding her same-sex relationship. But Dutee feels a burden has been lifted off her shoulders and the support she has received both from her partner and supporters since has aided in her pursuit of excellence.
“Me and my partner had visited an astrologer after I went public to know what the future held for us. He had said my fortunes will change for the better and whatever I wanted to achieve would be within my grasp. I have won the University Games along with national records in both 100m and 200m. I’m hopeful that in the coming months, I can achieve the cut-off mark and race at the Olympics once again,” she signed off.