Dutee geared up for gold

'I have beaten them before'

The blazing afternoon sun was troubling everyone at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium here, but Dutee Chand didn’t seem to be perturbed one bit.

In her brief track and field career so far, the Odisha athlete has seen far tougher challenges and at the 35th National Games here, she is poised to tackle another one.

Dutee, suspended for hyperandrogenism -- excessive male hormones in her body -- is back after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne allowed her to run in domestic meets pending final disposal of her case challenging her suspension.

After coming through the National Games trials in her home state, the Thiruvananthapuram bash will be her first major competition, and given the worldwide attention her case has received, Dutee will certainly be the cynosure here in the 100 and 200 metres.

“I hope to do well and win a medal. Chances are there but I don’t know how it will pan out, I am a bit apprehensive though – whether I will be able to perform well,” said Dutee just before her first training session here.

“I missed about six months training after I was suspended and only after December (when the CAS initial order came) did I resume proper training,” said the 19-year-old, who was accompanied by her coach M Ramesh. “In between, I completed my training (to be a ticket examiner in Central Railways),” she said.

After she received temporary relief from CAS, Dutee has been staying at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad and training at the Gachibowli stadium. “I have trained for about four weeks and have clocked good times in training,” she said.

Dutee timed 12.10 in the 100 metres and 25.6 in the 200 metres at the State selection trials. “Just before leaving for the Games, I did 11.7 (hand-timed) in the 100. Hopefully I will be able to better that here,” said Dutee, the daughter of a poor weaver in Odisha’s Gopalpur district.

The field is tough here but Dutee isn’t concerned one bit. “I was preparing for the Commonwealth Games when I was pulled out of the team last year. I have beaten all of them before, for me, this is not a big meet, this is a small meet,” she stressed.

Dutee will take the same positive attitude to Lausanne, where her hearing is scheduled for March 23 to 26. “I will be leaving to Lausanne on March 19,” she said, ready to take on the world.