BHUBANESWAR 07-Jul-2013 364
Ace Odisha sprinter Dutee Chand made a successful international debut by winning a bronze medal in women`s 200m sprint, clocking 23.82 secs in the 20th Asian Championship at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune today. The 17-year-old athlete from Gopalpur village in Jajpur district secured. She pushed Chisato Fukushima of Japan to the fourth place by virtue of a photofinish.
Dutee, who finished second in her hits with a timing of 23.76 secs earlier on Saturday, had no time to celebrate the biggest success of her scintilating career as she immediately left for Delhi to compete in the World Youth Athletics Championship, scheduled to be held in Ukrain from July 10 to 13.
Dutee`s senior statemate Srabani Nanda, who also featured in the 200m final of the Pune Asian Championship, finished seventh with a timing of 24.38 secs. Srabani also was a part of the Indian quartet that secured the fourth position in women`s 4x 00m relay.
Altogether three athletes from Odisha represented India in the Asian championship. Amiya Kumar Mallick, the third of the trio, finished fifth in the semifinals of the men`s 200m sprint, clocking 21.67 secs.
Rewards followed Dutee with Odisha Olympic Association secretary Asirbad Behera and KIIT University founder Dr Achyuta Samanta announcing Rs 25,000 each for the sprinter. KIIT University, where Dutee took admission last month, is also planning to send her abroad for higher training.
A product of Bhubaneswar-based Government Sports Hostel, Dutee has collected around 30 medals including 20 gold in different National athletics championship so far. A training stint at the Jamshedpur-based Tata Athletics Academy came as big boost for the sprinter, who heralded her emergence as the most promising girl sprinter of the country by winning national medals at school, youth and senior categories earlier this year.
Younger sister of international police athlete Saraswati Chand, Dutee started the year on a flying note, bagging three gold and a Tata Nano car in the 58th National Schools Athletics Championship in February at Etawah in UP. Two months later, she claimed two bronze in the 17th Federation Cup Senior National Championship at Patiala.
In the 10th National Youth Athletics Championship at Guntur (AP) in May, Dutee was adjudged the best girls athlete for winning a sprint double and a silver in medley relay. She capped her preparation for the international debut by securing 200m silver in the 53rd Senior National and Inter-State Championship at Chennai last month.
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PHOTO: Dutee Chand (left) and compatriot Asha Roy celebrate after winning the Asian bronze and silver medals respectively in Pune on July 7, 2013.
