Dutee feels let down as AFI ignores sprinters

No national camp for Commonwealth Games

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand missed the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games as she was embroiled in her landmark hyperandrogenism case. The Odisha athlete, confident of her qualification this time around, however, feels let down by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) which has chosen not to hold a  national camp for the sprinters.

The 22-year-old, who was allowed to train on her own in Hyderabad for the last two years after the case, was provided all the benefits by SAI when national camps were on. But with no camps being held for the sprinters, the SAI support too has stopped. Dutee then approached Odisha government for support and is now under its wings for a year.

"Training is not going good because the federation is not having camps for sprinters. I have to stay alone and train and manage everything. In camps you get the money and all support required for training from the  Sports Authority of India (SAI)," Dutee said.

"Usually camps are arranged when competition dates arrive close. But this year it has not happened despite being an important year for athletes. Last year there was a camp before the Asian Athletics Championships. All other sprinters including Srabani Nanda are training on our own."

"I called SAI and AFI once, but they said 100M runners do not train together so they are not holding camps. We can't leave our personal coaches. They know the in and out of our body. I have been training for four years with Ramesh sir and have won medals, including at the Asian Championships. We have given performances. If you see discus throw or javelin throw, they all have personal coaches along with foreign coaches."

The Federation Cup in Patiala in March will be the qualifying event for the Commonwealth Games and Dutee is keen to make the cut. "I could not compete in the 2014 CWG and Asian Games because of my case. I want to win this time. I will be able to get a better picture of my performance at the Federation Cup. I think I am doing better and I have done good training."

AFI stance  

The AFI, meanwhile, pointed out that the performance of the sprinters has not been up to the mark. "We have national camps for select athletes who are considered medal prospects. But the performance of 100m sprinters is not up to the mark. So for the Commonwealth Games we are not holding any camps for them. After that, we will plan one for the upcoming events," an AFI official told DH.