I feel relieved, it means the world to me: Dutee

Relieved after the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) suspended the ruling that prevented her from competing, Dutee Chand assured that she will come out stronger to fulfill her dream of winning international laurels for the country.

“I am very happy with the court’s ruling,” said the 19-year-old Odisha girl, who is training in Hyderabad at the moment.

“God has been really kind to me. I would like to thank everyone who stood by me, my family and my coach. Also the concerned authorities who fought this case for me and believed in me,” she said over phone from the Gopichand Academy, where she is staying.
The interim relief given by the CAS had allowed her to compete in between but the daughter of a poor weaver from Gopalpur said she was keen to qualify for the Olympic Games first.

“Since the time I started competing, I have always dreamt of winning a medal for my country at the Olympics. Working towards that will be of top priority now,” she stressed.
“Now that the long battle is over, I am free. My mind is free and I can concentrate on my running. The coming few months will be very crucial for me. I will have to make up for the lost ground in training and come out stronger,” said the sprinter.

Her coach N Ramesh was also a relieved man. “I can’t express what I feel now. It has been a very difficult time for her. Though everyone started leaving her side, I believed in her and choose to stand by her,” said Ramesh.

Dutee said the past few months were the worst she had encountered in her career so far. “It was the worst period for me. I couldn’t eat well or sleep well. And that reflected in my performance too. But now, I feel free. It’s like I have been set free from a murder case,” she quipped.

With the ruling favouring her participation at the forthcoming international meets, one can hope to see Dutee return to the track with renewed spirit to fulfill her dream.