Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s renowned sprinter Dutee Chand Wednesday qualified in the 100 metre as well as 200 metre events for Tokyo Olympics, 2020. She has been selected via world ranking quota.
It is pertinent to mention, Dutee broke her own 100m national record, clocking 11.7 seconds at the Indian Grand Prix 4 in Patiala last week. She had earlier missed the automatic Olympic qualification time by 0.02 seconds. The Odia sprinter has, however, made it to the Tokyo Olympics on the basis of her world rankings, a senior official said.
“The cut-off date for Tokyo Olympics, 2020 was Wednesday and only 56 participants were allowed for the sprint events. I am yet to get any official confirmation,” 25-year-old sprinter Dutee said.
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“I was hopeful of securing a berth in Tokyo Olympics. I have been toiling hard for the grand event for the last four years. Now, my dream has come true. My performance has been consistent for the last two years. I am confident of a good show in the event,” she added.
Notably, the state government Tuesday recommended names of sprinter Dutee Chand and international hockey player Birendra Lakra for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjun Puraskar for this year.
PNN